Rebate delay on bus fuel
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
PLANS to raise the 10p minimum fare that allows a bus route to be classified as stage carriage and thus qualify for fuel tax rebate have been postponed by the Department of Transport.
This is pending the outcome of the Transport Policy Review following last year's consultation paper on transport policy.
At present as long as a route has some fares at 10p or below it is classified as stage carriage.
Major operators including the National Bus Company and London Transport have been pressing the Department of Transport for some time to have the arbitrary 10p figure lifted. This would allow LT to raise the fare on its flat fare services above 10p and still qualify for fuel tax rebate.
London Country Bus Services also retains 10p fares on its Green Line routes.
The Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport has been pressing for a wider relaxation to allow fuel rebate to be claimed for all passenger journeys, and not just stage carriage as at present. It raised this with the Treasury last month but was told to await the policy review.