§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to improve the inter-changeability of bus tickets on routes served by different bus companies. [30220]
§ Mr. ByersWe wish to encourage joint ticketing schemes between bus operators, aimed at making life easier for bus users.
1107WLast year my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading, made an Order to exempt multi-operator ticketing schemes from having to be notified individually to the Office of Fair Trading. Any such scheme that meets the terms of the Order is therefore automatically exempted.
I am, however, aware of the concern expressed both by bus operators and local authorities about the terms of the ticketing schemes block exemption. It would be highly undesirable if operators felt compelled to abandon existing worthwhile initiatives, or were deterred from developing new ones. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport has written to the Director General of Fair Trading, emphasising the importance that we place upon
1108W
2001 Rural Bus Challenge Competition—awards Authority/bid reference/name Funding awarded Cambridgeshire Taxi Plus 151,000 West Huntingdonshire Rural Links 339,839 Cheshire Chester-Whitchurch Corridor—a rural Bus Quality Partnership 718,000 Services for Young People in Vale Royal 67,500 Rural Recovery—Blazing Trails 160,000 Cornwall Integrated Bissoe Valley Services 469,000 Cumbria Cumbria Connexion Enhancement 250,000 Windermere Shuttle Bus 292,300 Darlington Provision of Quality Passenger Infrastructure 118,887 Derbyshire Clay Cross Accessible Transport Initiative (CATI) 291,625 Devon Devon Fare Cars 471,000 Life in the Bus Lane—North Devon (Buses are Cool) 373,000 Durham County Durham RESPONSE 941,300 East Riding PATHFinder 825,000 East Sussex Travel Choice in the South Downs 363,000 Essex Harwich Connection Community Bus Co-operative 293,500 Essex Taxi-Bus Carrier 20,500 Greater Manchester Expansion of Existing Rural Transport Co-operative in Partington and Cadishead 188,000 Expansion of Existing Demand Responsive Taxi Service in Summersheat, Tottington and Ramsbottom 45,000 Hartlepool Enhanced Daytime Bus Service 135,000 Herefordshire Rural Taxibus Project 396,000 Hertfordshire Improving Access to Health Facilities 190,000 Rural Community Transport and Accessible Vehicles 386,700 Roundabout Transport 112,900 the continuation of sensible, multi-operator ticketing schemes that have proved popular with the travelling public.