Local Government and Rating Act 1997

Part III Powers of Parish Councils and Community Councils

Transport etc.

26 Car-sharing schemes

(1) A parish council or community council may—

(a) establish and maintain any car-sharing scheme, or

(b) assist others to establish and maintain any car-sharing scheme,

for the benefit of persons in the council’s area.

(2) A parish or community council may impose any conditions they think fit—

(a) on the participation of persons in any scheme established and maintained by the council under subsection (1)(a) (including conditions requiring persons who receive fares under the scheme to contribute to the costs of establishing and maintaining it), or

(b) on the giving of any assistance under subsection (1)(b).

(3) For the purposes of this section—

(a) a car-sharing scheme is a scheme for the provision of private cars for use on journeys in the course of which one or more passengers may be carried at separate fares, and

(b) the participants in a car-sharing scheme are those who make private cars available for use under the scheme or who are eligible for carriage as passengers under the scheme.

(4) In this section—

(a) “private car” means a motor vehicle other than a public service vehicle, a licensed taxi, a licensed hire car or a motor cycle,

(b) “motor vehicle”, “public service vehicle” and “fares” have the same meaning as in section 1 of the [1981 c. 14.] Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981, and

(c) “licensed taxi” and “licensed hire car” have the meaning given by section 13(3) of the [1985 c. 67.] Transport Act 1985.

27 Grants for bus services

After section 106 of the Transport Act 1985 there is inserted—

“106A Grants for bus services

(1) A parish council or community council may make grants to any body towards expenditure incurred or to be incurred by that body in connection with the operation of—

(a) a bus service appearing to the council to be wholly or mainly for the benefit of members of the public who are elderly or disabled; or

(b) a community bus service (as defined in section 22 of this Act).

(2) The power in subsection (1) above may only be exercised if—

(a) the bus service benefits, or appears to the council likely to benefit, persons living in the council’s area, and

(b) a permit in relation to the use of the vehicle by means of which the service is, or is to be, provided has been granted to the body concerned under section 19 or 22 of this Act.

(3) Grants under this section may be made in such cases and subject to such terms and conditions as the council think fit.”

28 Taxi fare concessions

(1) A parish council or a community council may enter into arrangements with any licensed taxi operator or licensed hire car operator under which—

(a) the operator grants fare concessions on local journeys specified in the arrangements to some or all of the persons falling within subsection (2), and

(b) the council reimburse the cost incurred in granting the concessions.

(2) The persons falling within this subsection are persons who are—

(a) resident in the council’s area, and

(b) specified for the time being in or under subsection (7) of section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 as eligible to receive travel concessions under a scheme established under that section.

(3) Arrangements made under subsection (1) may specify such other terms and conditions as the council think fit.

(4) In subsection (1) “licensed taxi operator” and “licensed hire car operator” mean a person who provides a service for the carriage of passengers by licensed taxi (as defined by section 13(3) of the Transport Act 1985) or by licensed hire car (as so defined).

29 Information about transport

(1) A parish council or community council may investigate—

(a) the provision and use of, and the need for, public passenger transport services in their area,

(b) the use of and need for roads in their area, and

(c) the management and control of traffic in their area.

(2) A parish council or community council may publicise information on public passenger transport services in their area or, on any conditions they think fit, assist others to do so.

(3) In this section “public passenger transport services” has the same meaning as in the [1985 c. 67.] Transport Act 1985 (see section 63(10)).

30 Traffic calming works

After section 274 of the [1980 c. 66.] Highways Act 1980 there is inserted—

“274A Contributions by parish or community councils

A parish council or community council may contribute towards any expenses incurred or to be incurred by a highway authority in constructing, removing or maintaining—

(a) traffic calming works, or

(b) other works (including signs or lighting) required in connection with traffic calming works,

if, in the opinion of the council, the expenditure is or will be of benefit to their area.”

Crime prevention

31 Crime prevention

(1) A parish council or community council may, for the detection or prevention of crime in their area—

(a) install and maintain any equipment,

(b) establish and maintain any scheme, or

(c) assist others to install and maintain any equipment or to establish and maintain any scheme.

(2) In section 92 of the [1996 c. 16.] Police Act 1996 (grants by local authorities)—

(a) in subsection (1)—

(i) for “or London borough” there is substituted “London borough, parish or community”, and

(ii) for “county, district, county borough or borough” there is substituted “council’s area”, and

(b) in subsection (2), for “or district” there is substituted “district or parish”.