Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981

30 Road services licences required for operation of stage carriage services

(1) Subject to section 39 of this Act and to the provisions of section 23 of the [1969 c. 35.] Transport (London) Act 1969 as to London bus services, a stage carriage service shall not be provided except under a road service licence granted in accordance with the following provisions of this Part of this Act

(2) The authority having power to grant a road service licence in respect of a stage carriage service is the traffic commissioners for any traffic area in which the service is proposed to be provided, not being an area in which passengers will be neither taken up nor set down in the course of the service; and a road service licence authorises the holder to provide the service specified in the licence in the area of the traffic commissioners by whom it was granted and in any other traffic area in which passengers are neither taken up nor set down in the course of the service.

(3) Where a stage carriage service is proposed to be provided on a route running through more than one traffic area, a separate road service licence is required for each traffic area in which passengers will be either taken up or set down in the course of the service.

(4) Subject to subsection (5) below and to section 35(2) of this Act, a road service licence granted by the traffic commissioners for any traffic area shall be of no effect at any time at which the holder does not also hold a PSV operator's licence granted by the commissioners for that or any other traffic area, not being a licence which is at that time of no effect by reason of its suspension.

(5) Subsection (4) above does not apply—

(a) to a road service licence held by a local education authority or, in Scotland, an education authority;

(b) to a road service licence granted in respect of a community bus service within the meaning of section 45 of this Act.

(6) Subject to section 68(3) of this Act, if a stage carriage service is provided in contravention of subsection (1) above, the operator of the service shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.

(7) Subject to section 68(3) of this Act, if a condition attached under section 32 or 33 of this Act to a road service licence is contravened, the holder of the licence shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.

(8) A road service licence is required for a stage carriage service notwithstanding that the provision of such a service is authorised under Part V of the Road Traffic Act 1930 or by a special Act or an order having the force of an Act.