Buses

HC Deb 27 October 1995 vol 264 cc879-80W

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secrtary of State for Transport what is the current trend in ownership for United Kingdom bus services. [40168]

Mr. Norris

Most bus services are now run by operators in the private sector. The trend is towards larger groupings although the number of operators providing local services continues to increase year on year.

Mr. Hanson

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce the establishment of a statutory regulator for the deregulated bus industry in the United Kingdom. [40084]

Mr. Norris

I have no plans to establish a regulator for the bus industry.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is proposing to counter the problems caused by conflicts between bus companies. [39769]

Mr. Norris

The Office of Fair Trading has powers to deal with anti-competitive behaviour between bus companies, and traffic commissioners can act where operators intentionally interfere with the services of other operators or operate services in a manner dangerous to the public.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of buses are more than 12-years-old; and what was the figure in 1986. [40166]

Mr. Norris

Of those public service vehicles in the bus taxation class having nine or more seats, 36 per cent. were 12-years-old or more at the end of 1994. The corresponding figure at the end of 1986 was 19 per cent.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to set up a regulator for the bus industry. [40057]

Mr. Norris

I have no plans to establish a regulator for the bus industry.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of bus services are controlled by the five largest bus companies in the United Kingdom. [40167]

Mr. Norris

Owing to the complexity of the structure of the bus and coach industry it is difficult to give an exact figure. However it is estimated that between 40 and 45 per cent. of local bus mileage is run on services controlled by the five largest bus companies in the UK.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the change in percentage terms(a) in the number of passengers carried and (b) in the revenue generated in real terms since bus deregulation to date. [40029]

Mr. Norris

Bus deregulation in Great Britain only affected bus operations outside of London. Figures obtained from annual surveys of public service operators show that passenger journeys on local bus services in Great Britain excluding London declined by 22 per cent. between financial years 1986–87 and 1994–95. Comparable passenger receipts on local bus services, which include concessionary fare reimbursement for groups such as disabled people, the elderly and children, declined by 7 per cent. in real terms over the same period.

Mr. Hanson

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he intends to take in response to the recent Office of Fair Trading report in respect of the problems of anti-competitive behaviour in the deregulated bus industry; [40088]

(2) what is his response to the recent Monopolies and Mergers Commission report into bus deregulation. [40083]

Mr. Norris

The general recommendations of the recent MMC report are being considered by the bus working group that I set up earlier this year.