Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 12: To ask the Minister for Transport when he expects to publish legislation to reform bus licensing here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13796/09]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 19: To ask the Minister for Transport when he will introduce the new bus licensing legislation to replace the Road Transport Act 1932; the reason there has been a delay with this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13670/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 19 together.

The Agreed Programme for Government contains a commitment to reform bus licensing to facilitate the optimum provision of services by providing a level playing field for all market participants. The legislative framework to support the authorisation and provision of improved public bus services in the Greater Dublin Area was updated last year through the passage of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008, which establishes a new contractual structure relating to the provision of subvented bus services in the Greater Dublin Area.

In January 2009, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Public Transport Regulation Bill which represents the second stage of the reform process and contains proposals for a new bus licensing regime which will replace the Road Transport Act 1932 and the provisions of the Transport Act 1958 that relate to the provision of bus services by the State bus companies. In accordance with the Programme for Government commitment, the proposed licensing regime will provide a level playing field for all bus market participants. The new licensing structure will apply in respect of all commercial bus passenger services, including those provided by Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann. It will establish a clear structure against which applications for bus route licences will be considered as well as a modern system of penalties and associated powers for revocation of licences.

The General Scheme of the Bill also contains proposals for extending nationally the provisions of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008 in relation to the provision of public service obligations that are consistent with EU Regulation No. 1370/2007; assigning responsibility to the DTA for bus route licensing and public transport services contracts nationwide; the amalgamation of the Commission for Taxi Regulation into the DTA. The scheme also provides for the renaming of the DTA as the National Transport Authority given its proposed national focus in relation to commercial bus licensing, bus and rail subvention and the regulation of small public service vehicles. In the light of the recent Government approval of the General Scheme of the Public Transport Regulation Bill, the Bill is now being drafted and it will be published as soon as possible.