• 70 days notice for service changes called for

Responding to the DfT's consultation on Improving Bus Passenger Services through the Regulatory Framework which closed today, Chair of the group of six Integrated Transport Authorities, Councillor Mark Dowd, said:

'The DfT has an opportunity with these regulations to give bus passengers more of the stability they are looking for from their bus networks. At present it’s too easy to chop and change services at the operator's convenience rather than passengers' convenience, and far too easy to bypass locally accountable transport authorities in the process.'

'With this package of regulatory changes there is the opportunity to tighten up the system to ensure that passengers are better informed about when and how their services will change, and that PTEs are better placed to fill gaps in the network in a cost effective and efficient way.’

Among the key points from the consultation response are:

• Changes to bus services should require 70 days notice
• Consideration should be given to establishing national ‘service change days’
• Passengers should be given three weeks notice of changes to their services
• Operators should be required to provide local transport authorities with details of the fares that apply on their services
• When operators deregister services they should provide patronage and revenue data to local transport authorities
• The proposal that local transport authorities should be able to set maximum fares is welcomed

ENDS

For more contact Jonathan Bray on 0781 804 1485