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CONTRACT SERVICE REGISTRATION A SOLUTION TO THE PSV LICENSING DILEMMA?
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by Derek Moses
THE ANGRY reaction unleashed by the bus industry on learning of the proposed road service licensing reforms announced last year (CM August 6 1971) must have been a big surprise for the Government. Mr John Peyton, Minister for Transport Industries, and his advisers were trying to introduce measures to improve the lot of bus operators, who were experiencing hard times, yet all they got in return was hostility.
But there was more to it than that. The Government was showing real concern for people living in remote rural areas where public transport services were in rapid decline. Furthermore, the proposed measures were far reaching and included freedom for private car owners to carry fare paying passengers, thus bringing within the law an already common practice.
What really disturbed the industry, however, were plans to abolish road service licences for all public tours and excursions, bespoke works and schools contract services, bus services receiving grants under Section 34 of the 1968 Transport Act, and rail replacement services.
Psv licence
The only control left under these proposals, apart from regular stage and express services, would be that vehicles carrying more than 15 passengers would still require a valid public service vehicle licence, together with vehicles seating eight to 15 passengers operating "regular, advertised services". The Certificate of Fitness inspections required before a psv licence could be issued would continue— and indeed be made more thorough—so that quality control would be retained even if quantity control (road service licensing) was abolished.
This meant that "small vehicles" could be employed carrying passengers for payment on a casual basis, and while the term was not clarified it was interpreted to embrace minibuses (an interpretation supported by Mr Peyton). The regular stage carriage service operators and private hire or contract coach operators were alarmed at the prospect of minibus "operators" springing-up everywhere and introducing bespoke works and schools contract services in both town and country, or, if not prepared to submit their vehicles to CoF tests, undertaking "casual" work.
Ample protection
When challenged about the danger to the already finely balanced stage services, which could collapse under such competition, Mr Peyton simply stated that he was satisfied that ample protection would be afforded to stage and express services. "Minibus touting is a costly business," he said.
Not convinced by the Minister's reassurance, the various operators' associations made representation to the Department of the Environment, and discussions were held to determine some form of compromise. These talks included the future of excursions and tours licences, due to be abolished altogether under the Government's proposals.
I feel, having attended long public sittings when applicants and objectors have argued. about seemingly trivial modifications to excursions or tours licences while the Traffic Commissioners patiently listen to all the evidence and counter-evidence, that the Minister is right in wanting to do away with such licensing. This opinion is not shared by many coach operators, who cling to their hard won gains.
The discussions have been completed for some time. Now the industry awaits the Government's pronouncement, while specu lation is rife. Meanwhile, a new thre■ could be developing.
School bus contracts have always bee one way of helping small, independet operators to keep going, and providir other socially necessary services in rural ( even urban areas. However, on March Mrs Margaret Thatcher, Secretary of Sta. for Education and Science, announced ti formation of a working party to stuc problems of school transport.
This is seen by some people as a furthi move against the psv operator, and part cularly the small independent. Despite gradual increase in the number of educatic authorities purchasing their own vehicli for school transport, and the Inner Londc Education Authority's decision to buy 1( school buses at an expense of £440,0( (and some of the livelihood of Londe coach operators), the establishment of ti working party could benefit the independei operators in the long run. School transpo is just one part of the overall public tran port problem, and must be seen in ti broad context.
Second thoughts
What, then, can psv operators look ft in the new licensing measures when the become regulations rather than proposal; The .assumption by psv operators that 14 Peyton proposed to let minibuses have fe reign proved correct. Officials at the De believed that "fly-by-night" minibi operators would soon be recognized by tl public, and would not last long. TI competition from genuine operators wou be stimulating, increase the level of servi. provided, and not harm existing stal operators.
Undeterred, the bus and coach operate fought on and, at the annual dinner of ti Public Road Transport Association la November, Mr Peyton, guest of honor announced that he had accepted that freedom for minibuses in urban areas was undesirable.
Round one, it seemed, had been won by the operators' associations. But the main planks behind the Government's reasoning were that 40 years had elapsed since the Road Traffic Act brought unbridled competition between coach operators to an end with the introduction of road service licensing, and times had changed—new legislation was felt to be overdue, Secondly, there was the deterioration in rural bus services, heightened by the demands of the National Bus Company for Section 34 rural bus grants. Where these were refused, NBC services stopped, in many cases.
While Mr Peyton conceded the urban minibus issue, he stressed that change must come, and the following measures are likely to be incorporated in the new regulations: An adequate and sensible system of registration of all bespoke and grant-aided services will be introduced to prevent bogus arrangements and afford protection of the regular stage and express services.
Some form of protection of licensed stage services in quasi-urban areas will also be introduced. These will all be controlled by the Traffic Commissioners.
The exemption of excursions and tours from the need for road service licences will be incorporated in the legislation,although not necessarily put into practice straight away.
Retention of licences for day excursions (as opposed to extended tours) is a strong possibility, to protect licensed express services.
Outside towns and cities, however, provision for motorists to give casual lifts against payment will be legalized and, indeed, encouraged. Voluntary bodies will be established to co-ordinate the provision of lifts in private cars, wherever possible, on a
While some rural villages have lost their bus services completely, others are sufficiently lucky to have a pay operator located in the village. A case in point is Victory Tours, of Sixpenny Handley, Dorset, one of whose Bedford VAL coaches with Plaxton Panorama coachwork is seen outside the local garage. Such operators must be cherished, and not neglected, by the working party set up to study school transport.
similar basis to the Government-sponsored scheme already operating in Shropshire.
The one measure which did not bring much criticism when the proposals were first announced will also be introduced. This is the provision allowing established bus operators requiring an urgent increase in revenue to raise fares before applications to the Traffic Commissioners are heard at public sitt i ngs—a very useful reform.
Operators are, therefore, likely to receive a compromise from the new regulations. The urban minibus hot potato has been dropped, but the equally unpopular freedom for motorists in rural areas goes ahead. This latter step may not prove as grave a threat as is imagined, however.
Pooling scheme
I wonder how many motorists living in rural areas will be willing to enter a pooling scheme to give lifts to people without their own transport? Some retired motorists might be glad to offer a transport service in rural areas, but I suggest their numbers will be limited.
This brings us back to the school bus, whether owned and operated by the local council Or education committee or provided by a psv operator under contract— and I believe that the latter arrangement should be observed whenever possible. Spare accommodation on school buses must be allocated to people without their own transport who will at least be guaranteed a journey twice a day, five days a week, during school terms.