El Am I right in. believing that under the new
Page 61
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Transport Act a grant is available a a person or persons intent upon improving public passenger services?
With reference to the above could you ;lease give your comments on a project rutlined as follows: I consortium is interested in running a righ-frequency bus service utilizing the ormer bed of a railway line; naturally this vould be suitably modified. The route is vithin one of the newly formed PTAs but rpparently does not interest the PTA one vay or the other as it more or less sectioned he original closure. The project would of rourse entail initial high cost, hence the fesirability of some form of grant. If this is wadable, how could one be attained?
AYou are correct in assuming that, in certain circumstances, such as proven teed, a grant is available for the improvenent of public passenger services.
Under the terms of the Transport Act 1968, any grant towards a p.s,v. service which is not viable, though socially desirable, is to be met 50:50 by the Ministry of Transport and the local authority concerned, subject to both bodies agreeing that the service is necessary.
Application, in the first stage, should be made to the local authority, or if, as in your case, the service will run inside a PTA area, to the Executive of that PTA. However, detailed guidance on how the scheme will work has not yet been circulated by the Ministry, and until local authorities or Executives receive this guidance, no action can be taken at this stage.
As you state that, apparently, your own area's PTA is not interested, we doubt if you will have any success. A direct approach to the Ministry of Transport at St. Christopher House, Southwark Street, London, SE1, might prove worthwhile.
We should mention also that if you did receive a grant, under the Transport Act 1968 you would be required to operate your service under contract to the Executive of the PTA