Select Committee on Deregulation Seventh Report


ANNEX

LIST OF LETTERS INCLUDED IN ANNEX

1.  Letter from Head of Division, Railways Sponsorship, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to the Clerk of the Committee, dated 10 June

2.  Letter from the Head of Taxi Policy Branch, Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions to the Clerk of the Committee, dated 22 June

Letter from the Head of Division, Railways Sponsorship, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to the Clerk of the Committee

You will recall that I agreed in my letter of 9 February to consult on the Deregulation Committee's suggestion that train operators should be restricted to using only buses and taxis for substitute rail services.

In view of the Deregulation Committee's concerns about the use of private hire vehicles, you will be pleased to note that the Association of Train Operating companies (ATOC) has confirmed that most train operators do not use private hire vehicles but operate the previous British Railways Board arrangements of using only buses and taxis for substitute rail services. However, train operators in rural areas often have no real alternative to using private hire vehicles, particularly when dealing with unexpected incidents; and in such cases private hire vehicles will be licensed by local authorities in essentially the same way as taxis. Where planned engineering work is involved, buses and coaches are normally used for substitute services.

ATOC has also confirmed that, where private hire vehicles have been used, no problems have been encountered. Train operators tend to enter into "call off" contracts with road vehicle operators after taking into account their working practices ie policy on drivers hours, servicing and accident records, and insurance arrangements, etc. ATOC therefore takes the view that it is not necessary to seek to negotiate a voluntary code of practice restricting train operators to using only buses and taxis.

Given that there is no evidence of problems occurring where private hire vehicles are used, and in view of the safety checks carried out by train operators, it seems to Ministers, too, that a voluntary Code of Practice is unnecessary. Indeed, the introduction of a Code of Practice might actually be disadvantageous to passengers in rural areas if it hampered the provision of alternative services. Therefore, we agree with ATOC that attempting to negotiate a voluntary Code of Practice restricting train operators to using only buses and taxis for substitute services is unnecessary.

10 June 1998


Letter from the Head of Taxi Policy Branch, Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions to the Clerk of the Committee

I confirm that the Department has not received any representations about the proposal to recognise driving licences issued under the Northern Ireland legislation for taxi and private hire vehicle purposes since the Committees' Reports were published.

22 June 1998


 
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