Bus operators
71. As the report of the Transport Select Committee
makes clear, both local government and bus operators have lobbied
for greater flexibility in relation to school transport contracts.[96]
The proposed deregulation would require changes to the Transport
Act 1985, which the draft School Transport Bill amends by providing
for the suspension of section 6 so that bus services taking paying
children, provided under school travel schemes, do not have to
be registered with the Traffic Commissioners. The DfT also intends
to introduce a regulatory reform order which would amend section
90 of the 1985 Act to increase the maximum length of tendered
services from five to eight years.
72. The deregulated framework in England outside
London may make it difficult to fully integrate school and public
transport services. For example, while local authorities have
the power to introduce tendered public services or school services
to supplement the existing network, the majority of bus services
are provided commercially and are registered routes with timetables
determined by the operators. These may be modified or withdrawn
subject to notice of 56 days (eight weeks), a much shorter period
than the school year.
73. Representatives of the LGA have also argued that
current legislation on competition and the restriction of post-tender
negotiations prevent local authorities from sitting down with
operators and planning the provision of home to school transport
in an integrated and efficient way. Mr Twigg told us that
work was underway to integrate further changes to transport legislation
into the final Bill and doubtless our colleagues on the Transport
Select Committee will follow up their work to ensure that the
Government has taken account of their recommendations in this
area.
Although greater deregulation may aid school travel
schemes we also note that greater regulation can result in an
improved service. Our witnesses expressed admiration for the regulated
bus network that currently exists in London, which is used by
many pupils.[97] Low-price
bus passes can be purchased and since January 2004, children up
to the age of ten travel free of charge. The recently re-elected
Mayor of London has further declared his intention to extend free
travel to students up to the age of eighteen when travelling to
and from their school or college. London's
regulated bus network is a special case, due to the numbers involved,
but we consider that other large cities could benefit from similar
arrangements; we therefore urge the Government to examine a means
of implementing such arrangements more easily in other areas.
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