§ Mr. EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions under what statutory provisions traffic commissioners allow small public service vehicle operators to run unregistered bus services. [58724]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe bus services which have to be registered with the traffic commissioner are 'local services', as defined in section 2 of the Transport Act 1985. Broadly speaking, local services are those using public service vehicles for the carriage of passengers at separate fares, with stopping places less than fifteen miles apart, and which are not trips organised privately by persons acting independently of vehicle operators etc. (as set out in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981), or services operated under a permit under section 19 of the Act. The requirement to register services is imposed by section 6 of the 1985 Act, which applies irrespective of the size of the public service vehicle concerned.