Bus Services After the Spending Review
The following points are submitted for the Committee’s consideration:
1. The ability of a bus operator to alter services at will can create substantial problems for the Transport Authority which has to maintain a coherent network. The 56-day notification period does not allow sufficient time for the Authority to consult users about the implications. We recommend that, where there is a significant impact on the service, the notification period should be increased to at least three months.
2. In rural areas the practicality of a service is more important than a notional dedication to ‘competition’. Operators in these areas should be encouraged to co-operate in the interests of a better service. For example, where two operators have garages at opposite ends of a rural route, they should be permitted to co-operate so that the first bus of the day starts, and the last bus finishes, at its home garage. Through-ticketing between operators should also be actively encouraged.
3. The EU restriction on the length of route is creating dire problems for rural buses. This restriction should be reviewed.
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