Vote Bundle Text (900208-04)

Amendments proposed to the Transport Bill - continued	House of Commons

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Bus services: provision by local authority

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC4

To move the following Clause:—

'.—(1) A local transport authority, or two or more such authorities acting jointly, may use their own vehicles, or vehicles leased to them, to provide bus services in the whole or part of their area, or combined area, if they are satisfied that this is the most economic, efficient and effective way in which they will be able to implement the policies set out in their current integrated transport strategy.

(2) A local authority, which is not a local transport authority, shall be regarded for the purposes of this Act as being a bus operator and may apply to run services using their own vehicles or vehicles leased to them.'.

Bus services: registrations

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC5

To move the following Clause:—

'The traffic commissioner, acting under section 6 of the Transport Act 1985 in his capacity as the registration authority, may refuse or vary the timing of a registration of a bus service, where it appears to him that the primary aim of the registration is to disrupt the business of a competitor.'.

Bus service variations

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC6

To move the following Clause:—

'An operator who seeks to vary departure times within five minutes for bus services which have been registered with the traffic commissioner must seek a new registration for such a variation.'.

Deregistration

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC8

*To move the following Clause:—

'The period of notice given by the traffic commissioner that he intends to deregister a registered bus service must be 56 days.'.

Bus operating centres

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC9

*To move the following Clause:—

'.—In permitting bus operators to establish an operating centre under section 14 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981, the Traffic Commissioner must be satisfied that the centre is available, suitable, and of sufficient capacity, and must take into account the suitability of the local public road network for the establishment of such a centre.'.

Taxis used on stage carriage services

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC10

*To move the following Clause:—

'For the purposes of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 a taxi used as a bus on a stage carriage service may have up to 12 seats.'.

Publication

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC11

*To move the following Clause:—

'(1) A local authority or authorities making a quality partnership scheme under section 98 must publish annually in at least one newspaper circulating in the area to which the scheme relates information about—

(a) the facilities provided by the authority or authorities,

(b) performance against the standard of services provided by operators of local services specified in the scheme.'.

No fare services

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC12

*To move the following Clause:—

'Where an operator proposes to operate a bus service for which no fares will be collected, that service shall be subject to registration in the usual way.'.

Taxi and private hire services: environmental protection

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC13

*To move the following Clause:—

'Each local transport authority, in preparing its local transport plan, must include a scheme requiring operators of taxis and private hire vehicles to fit them with catalysts and particulate traps and to submit such taxis and private hire vehicles to inspection and testing.'.

Publication by Traffic Commisioners of performance information

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC14

*To move the following Clause:—

'(1) A local bus operator must, on a quarterly basis, provide the Traffic Commissioners with data on passengers, fare levels, costs, scheduled mileage and actual mileage as part of its claim for Fuel Duty Rebate.

(2) The Traffic Commissioners may publish such information in a specified format for each region.'.

Goods Vehicles

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC15

*To move the following Clause:—

'It shall be incumbent on the driver of a goods vehicle using a weight restricted route to provide evidence on demand to any police officer or member of the Vehicle Inspectorate or Trading Standards Office that such a driver is using the route lawfully.'.

Quiet lanes and home zones

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

NC16

*To move the following Clause:-

'(1) A local traffic authority may designate any restricted residential road or roads within their area and for which they are the traffic authority as a home zone. A local authority may designate any rural road or roads within their area and for which they are the traffic authority as a quiet lane. Designations of home zones or quiet lanes may be made for any or all of the following purposes—

(a) improving the environment;

(b) improving the safety and security of the community whose area the home zone is situated;

(c) improving safety on rural roads, especially for pedestrians, pedal cyclists and horse riders, by reducing the risks of accidents;

(d) promoting integrated transport policies;

(e) encouraging the enjoyment of the countryside;

(f) improving facilities for pedestrians or pedal cyclists;

(g) protecting the character and distinctiveness of the countryside from damage by traffic.

(2) Before designating a quiet lane or home zone, a local traffic authority shall consult—

(a) in England, any county council, district council, unitary authority, London borough, town council or parish council;

(b) in Wales, any unitary authority or community council;

(c) such bodies or persons concerned with the protection of the environment and such representatives of relevant road user groups or local businesses as they think fit in any area which may be directly affected by the designation.

(3) For the purposes of this Act a home zone is an area within which—

(a) Pedestrians and pedal cyclists have precedence on any highway and in relation to which the driver of any mechanically powered vehicle shall accord such precedence to any pedestrian or pedal cyclist; and

(b) the speed limit does not exceed 10mph.

(4) For the purposes of this Act a quiet lane is a rural road or roads along which—

(a) pedestrians, pedal cyclists and horse riders have precedence on any highway and in relation to which the driver of any mechanically powered vehicles shall accord such precedence to any pedestrian, pedal cyclist or horse rider; and

(b) the speed limit does not exceed 20mph.

(5) Within six months of a home zone being designated the highway authority shall introduce such traffic calming works and other measures as it deems appropriate.

(6) As soon as it is practicable and no later than six months after the coming into force of this Act the Secretary of State shall—

(a) make regulations by statutory instrument making provision for the way in which a highway authority may seek his approval for designating a home zone or quiet lane or for setting the speed limit on any restricted road or rural road pursuant to this Act;

(b) issue guidance as to the way in which a highway authority shall exercise its powers for home zones and quiet lanes.

(7) Guidance under this section shall include guidance on—

(a) the meaning of "rural road";

(b) the procedures of designating a rural road as a quiet lane or restricted residential road as a home zone;

(d) traffic signs for quiet lanes; and

(e) the use of traffic calming measures for quiet lanes in ways which do not harm the quality of the local environment.

(8) The Secretary of State may, if he deems it appropriate, issue different guidance for different authorities or different types of authority or for different areas.'.

Mr Bernard Jenkin
Mr Robert Syms
Mr Peter Atkinson

Page 82, line 29, leave out Clause 144.

Mr Don Foster
Mr Michael Moore

392

Clause 151, page 87, line 3, at end add—

'(4) The charging authority may, after consultation with neighbouring local authorities covered by the local transport plan and organisations appearing to the authority to be representative of users of roads within the local transport plan area, close public highways to motor vehicles to assess the impact on traffic movement in the area generally and, in particular, on the use of roads where charges apply, for a period of up to twelve weeks.

(5) The authority may use the results of the assessment of highway closures carried out under subsection (4) to incorporate highway closures into amendments to the local transport plan.'.

Mr Don Foster

Mr Michael Moore

479

*Clause 158, page 89, line 5, after 'premises', insert 'which shall include out-of-town retail shopping complexes, entertainment facilities and warehouses'.