§ Mr. BowisTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the London Dial-A-Ride regionalisation proposals to be tested in a trial region; and which region this will be.
§ Mr. FreemanLondon Transport is responsible for administering the London Dial-A-Ride scheme, which is funded by Government grant. They have been considering plans to regionalise the service for over two years, with a view to obtaining a more efficient service for users and better value for money.
In order to develop detailed workable proposals in one region before agreeing to full regionalisation, LT held discussions with existing management committees of the six services in north-east London. As a result of those discussions, LT are now convinced of the benefits which full regionalisation will bring. I understand they are therefore developing regional boards of user representatives throughout London which will be responsible for introducing regional management structures and regional policies over the next 12–18 months. London Transport have no plans to test the benefits in a trial region before full implementation.