utility not quantity r coach licensing
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s coach and bus road service licensing faces its biggest tphe val for 50 years with proposed changes which will be nco orated in the Transport Bill to be introduced in the kut n.
A nouncing a new consulatio document on the future )f p v licensing this week ran ..port Minister Norman owlr said that there will be wo 1 onths of talks with the du .try on the proposals rhic , he says, are aimed at idi g the user of public -ans ort.
Bu already the Confederaon f British Road Passenger 'ran port has sounded the la about plans to abolish )ad ervice licences and fares pntr s ls for scheduled express ?rvi es, excursions and tours. Th Government says that it ?es no reason why there ioul not be free competition th e markets — a view CM as dvanced for several ?ars Mr owler wants the burden ' pr of in new service applittio s moved from the new operator to the objector who would have to prove his case for the objection, and he wants to make it easier to get. into stage carriage operations.
He made it clear that he has an open mind on fares controls.
The definition of a stage carriage service would be changed to cover the distance of the service and not the fares charged as at present.
The role of the Traffic Commissioners will change to become much more like that of the .Licensing Authority in goods transport and Mr Fowler proposes changes in the system to give goods-type operators licences to bus operators and he had had talks with the commissioners about giving them more control over the maintenance of standards and safety. Mr Fowler proposes to end the "anachronism" of conductors licensing and he says that this is an area where the operator can apply effective selection procedures.
He has invited opinions from the industry on the question of removing the Traffic Commissioners' power to regulate fares on stage carriage services and he told CM this week that he believed that competition on coach services would improve the quality and prices of public transport and encourage more people to use the services.
CPT president Ian Cunningham said that he welcomed the minister's plans which "largely followed" proposals that the CPT had made over the years.
But he warned that illconceived laws could imperil some bus services and he said that the total removal of licensing of express services, excursions and tours would not be in the public interest.
Mr Fowler also intends to remove the restrictions on the operation of articulated buses and this will help South Yorks PTE which plans to run .10 on free services this year.