20 November 2007

BUS PASSENGERS IN STAFFORD CONSTITUENCY TO BENEFIT FROM LOCAL TRANSPORT BILL

Stafford’s Labour MP welcomes today’s start of the new Local Transport Bill on its passage through Parliament. It’s Second Reading debate in the House of Lords begins later today.

David Kidney describes the Bill as good news for bus passengers in Staffordshire:

“I will be giving the Bill my full support when it reaches the House of Commons early next year. I know how important having a good local bus service is to the many people who depend on buses for their journeys to work, to the shops, to doctors’ appointments or for leisure.

“Because of decisions taken by the previous Conservative Government to deregulate bus services, up until now local authorities have been seriously hampered in their attempts to make local transport better for local people. This new Bill will give local authorities greater powers to deliver a better local transport system suited to local needs. 

“One of the key powers in the Bill will mean that local authorities will now be able to improve bus services and deliver better punctuality through “quality contracts”. At its best, this could equate to bringing the best of London’s co-ordination of bus services to Staffordshire. In London, bus passenger numbers have risen substantially in recent years because the Mayor and Transport for London have the power to set high standards of performance on behalf of passengers. The result should be better bus services as well as help to tackle local congestion by getting more people on buses.”

“The Bill also will help support community transport, by encouraging the use of community transport organisations and allowing community groups to employ paid drivers rather than depend on volunteers.
Notes to editors:

1. The Local Transport Bill will give local authorities and community transport organisations greater local freedom and choice, with increased flexibility and powers to deliver better bus services and a more integrated transport system tailored to local needs.
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2. The Local Transport Bill was published on Thursday 8 November. For further details about the Bill, please go to  www.dft.gov.uk/localtransportbill.

3. The main changes the Bill, if passed, would introduce

• give local authorities the right mix of powers to improve the quality of local bus services. This would include enabling more effective partnership working between local authorities and bus operators and allowing greater flexibility to implement 'quality contracts' schemes in areas where local authorities need to take greater control over bus services in the interests of the public.  It would also introduce a new regime to deliver better punctuality and measures to support further development of the community transport sector.

• Allow for the creation of an influential new bus passenger champion to represent the interests of bus passengers.
• Allow local authorities to carry out a review of existing arrangements for planning and taking decisions on transport services in their area, and to propose changes. Passenger Transport Authorities would be renamed Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs), to reflect their role in coordinated planning of transport, and new or expanded ITAs could be set up to ensure local arrangements meet local needs.
• Allow Community bus services for the general public operating under section 22 to employ drivers rather than having to depend on volunteers, and will remove the upper size limit of 16 passengers for community transport, enabling third sector groups to use larger vehicles under the licensing regime.