Regen.net,
9 November 2007
New government measures to sustain the growth of community transport have been welcomed by the sector's advocacy body.
Under the measures announced in the Local Transport Bill, community bus services for the general public will now be able to employ drivers rather than depending on volunteers.
In addition, limits on the size of vehicles allowed to operate have been discarded.
Keith Halstead, Community Transport Association chief executive, said: "[The measures] will enable community transport operators to sustain and deliver new services to the most disadvantaged members of society in both rural and urban areas."
The bill also allows for the creation of a new independent bus passenger watchdog, with a strong public role, that will promote the interests of the millions of bus passengers nationwide.
Transport minister Rosie Winter said the government had "heard loud and clear that people want a more influential voice for bus passengers."
Other measures in the bill announced last week include:
- renaming the Passenger Transport Authorities as Integrated Transport Authorities (ITAs) to reflect their role in freight as well as passenger transport. Area restrictions will be relaxed to enable ITAs to deliver more localized and strategic transport;
- a provision to allow London borough councils to implement road pricing schemes - but only if the Greater London Authority gives its consent;
- the retention of the requirement for Transport for London and London local authorities to make plans and programmes for spending revenues from their local schemes, which the draft bill had proposed to drop.
