Citation, commencement and extent1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2004 and shall come into force on 23rd February 2004.

(2)

These Regulations extend to England and Wales only2.

Amendment of the principal Regulations2.

(1)

The Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) Regulations 19863 (“the principal Regulations”) are amended as provided in regulations 3 to 12.

(2)

A reference in regulations 3 to 12 below to a regulation or schedule is a reference to a regulation of, or schedule to, the principal Regulations.

Amendment of interpretation provisions3.

(1)

Regulation 2 (interpretation) is amended as provided in this regulation.

(2)

In paragraph (1), after the definition of “bank holiday”, there is inserted—
““bus substitution service” has the meaning given by section 45(2)(b) of the Railways Act 19934;

“fixed stopping place” means a stopping place at a fixed location;”.

(3)

In the Table in paragraph (2), item 2 is omitted.

(4)

After paragraph (2), there is inserted—

“(2A)

In these Regulations—

(a)

a reference to a flexible service is a reference to a service—

(i)

which serves one or more local communities or neighbourhoods within a specific geographical area,

(ii)

which, while it may have fixed sections of route, is in the entirety of its operation so flexible that it is not practicable to identify in advance all the roads to be traversed at any given time,

(iii)

which is provided primarily for the purpose of carrying passengers who have booked in advance of the journey and whose collective requirements determine the route of each journey notwithstanding that other persons may also be travelling,

(iv)

all the seats of which are available for use by members of the general public, and

(v)

which is provided in consideration of the payment of individual passenger fares which are not subject to variation according to the number of passengers carried on the journey;

(b)

a reference to a standard service is a reference to any other service.”

Amendment of the requirements for applications4.

For paragraphs (1) and (2) of regulation 3 (applications for registration) there are substituted—

“(1)

Subject to paragraph (2), an application for registration of particulars of a service the area of operation of which covers more than one traffic area shall be made—

(a)

in the case of a standard service, to the traffic commissioner for the area in which the service will start, and

(b)

in the case of a flexible service, at the discretion of the operator either to the traffic commissioner for the area in which the greater part of the registered area of its operation is situated or to the traffic commissioner for the area in which the greater number of fixed stopping places are situated.

(2)

An application for registration of particulars of a service the area of operation of which lies partly inside Greater London (and which, by virtue of sections 178(2) and 185(1) of the Greater London Authority Act 19995 requires a London service permit in respect of that part) shall be made to the traffic commissioner for the South-Eastern and Metropolitan Traffic Area”6.

Amendment of prescribed particulars5.

(1)

For regulation 4 (prescribed particulars) there is substituted—

“4.

The following particulars are prescribed for the purposes of section 6(2)(a) of the 1985 Act—

(a)

in the case of every service, the particulars specified in Part 1 of the Schedule;

(b)

in the case of a standard service, the further particulars specified in Part 2 of the Schedule;

(c)

in the case of a flexible service, the further particulars specified in Part 3 of the Schedule.”

(2)

For the Schedule (particulars of the service) there is substituted the Schedule hereto.

Amendment of general notice periods6.

For regulation 5 (periods of notice) there is substituted—

“5.

(1)

Subject to regulations 7 and 8, the period of notice prescribed for the purpose of section 6(3) of the 1985 Act7 is—

(a)

in the case of a community bus service, 28 days commencing on the date on which the traffic commissioner accepts the application, and

(b)

in the case of any other service, 56 days commencing on the date on which the traffic commissioner accepts the application.

(2)

Subject to regulations 7 and 8, the period mentioned in section 6(8)(a) of the 1985 Act ends—

(a)

in the case of a community bus service, on the date which is the last day of the period of 28 days commencing on the date on which the traffic commissioner accepts the application, and

(b)

in the case of any other service, on the date which is the last day of the period of 56 days commencing on the date on which the traffic commissioner accepts the application.”

Amendment of regulation 7 (alteration of notice periods at a traffic commissioner’s discretion)7.

In regulation 7(2)(b), for “service” there is substituted “standard service”.

Amendment of regulation 8 (exclusions from notice requirements)8.

In regulation 8, for paragraph (2) there is substituted—

“(2)

The cases referred to in paragraph (1) are cases—

(a)

where the registration is varied only to enable the operator of the service to comply with a traffic regulation condition or any other provision made by or under an enactment prohibiting or restricting the use of any road by vehicular traffic;

(b)

where the registration is varied only in respect of a change in the operator’s address;

(c)

where the service is a bus substitution service;

(d)

where—

(i)

an application is made for registration of a service which, except for the operation of section 179(2) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, would be part of a service which requires a London service permit,

(ii)

an application for a London service permit is made at the same time, and

(iii)

the service to be registered will not commence before the grant of the permit.”

Spent provision in regulation 9 (minor variations of registered services)9.

Regulation 9(2)(e) is omitted.

Fees10.

For regulation 12(3) (applications on which no fee is payable) there is substituted—

“(3)

No fee shall be payable—

(a)

on an application to register or vary particulars of a service which, except for the operation of section 179(2) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, would be part of a service which requires a London service permit;

(b)

on an application to vary a service the only reason for which is to enable the operator of the service to comply with a traffic regulation condition or any other provision made by or under an enactment prohibiting or restricting the use of any road by vehicular traffic;

(c)

on an application to record a change in the operator’s address”.

Amendment of requirements to display service information11.

For regulation 13 there is substituted—

“Display of service information in and on vehicles13.

(1)

This regulation applies to every vehicle except a vehicle being used—

(a)

under a special licence, or

(b)

to provide an excursion or tour.

(2)

While a vehicle is being used to provide a standard service, the operator shall either display inside the vehicle in a manner clearly legible to passengers or have available on the vehicle for passengers who request them—

(a)

a fare table containing sufficient information to enable a passenger to ascertain without difficulty the fare for his journey, and

(b)

a timetable containing at least the information specified in paragraph 5 of Part 1 and paragraph 3(b) of Part 2 of the Schedule.

(3)

While a vehicle is being used to provide a flexible service, the operator shall display inside the vehicle information about fares (whether in the form of a fare table or otherwise) which is both clearly legible to passengers and is formulated in such a manner that a passenger may ascertain the fare for his journey without difficulty.

(4)

While a vehicle is being used to provide a standard service, the operator shall display in a position clearly legible from the outside of the vehicle—

(a)

a notice indicating the destination or, as the case may be, the route of the service, and

(b)

either the service number or the name by which it is known.

(5)

While a vehicle is being used to provide a flexible service, the operator shall display in a position clearly legible from the outside of the vehicle the name by which the service is known.

Information about flexible services14.

The operator of a flexible service shall make available, in any reasonably accessible form, to all persons who may wish to use the service—

(a)

details of the nature of the service, including at least—

(i)

a description of the area of its operation, and

(ii)

a statement setting out the features mentioned in regulation 2(2A)(a)(iii) and (iv),

(b)

information about fares formulated in such a manner (whether as a table of fares or otherwise) that a person may ascertain the fare for his journey without difficulty, and

(c)

the information specified in paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 of Part 3 of the Schedule.”

Service records12.

There is inserted at the end—

“Records of operation of flexible services15.

(1)

Where so required by a traffic commissioner (whether at the time of registration of the service or later) the operator of a flexible service shall record and maintain, in any reasonably accessible form, the following information (“the specified information”) in respect of every journey made by a vehicle operating the service—

(a)

the date the journey was made,

(b)

the names of all passengers who were booked to travel (whether or not they actually travelled) and details of how each such passenger may be contacted,

(c)

the time when and place where it was agreed or otherwise determined that each passenger who travelled should be taken up and set down, and

(d)

the actual time and place at which each passenger was taken up and set down.

(2)

The operator shall keep the specified information for a period of one year after the relevant journey was made or for such longer period as a traffic commissioner may specify for the purpose of enabling him to perform his functions under any enactment.

(3)

When reasonably required to do so by a traffic commissioner (or by one of his officers or servants) in connection with the performance of such functions the operator shall produce, or make available for inspection, any part of the specified information.

(4)

An operator may, instead of recording and maintaining the specified information himself, cause it to be recorded and maintained by another person on his behalf and in such a case that other person shall be under the duties imposed on the operator by paragraphs (2) and (3) above.”

Transitional provisions13.

(1)

This regulation applies in relation to a service (the “current service”) which, immediately before the date on which these Regulations come into force, is registered under section 6 of the Transport Act 19858 in accordance with the provisions of the principal Regulations in force at that time.

(2)

Where this regulation applies, until the date specified in paragraph (3)—

(a)

the principal Regulations shall have effect as amended by these Regulations, but as if the provisions hereof specified in paragraph (5) were omitted, and

(b)

the current service may be operated, or continue to be operated, in accordance with the principal Regulations as so amended.

(3)

The date referred to is the date on which the first variation of the registration after the coming into force of these Regulations becomes effective under section 6(8) of the Transport Act 1985.

(4)

For the purposes of paragraph (3), a variation made in any of the circumstances described in regulations 7(2) and 8(2)(c) of the principal Regulations (as they have effect in relation to a current service) shall be ignored.

(5)

The provisions referred to in paragraph (2)(a) are—

(a)

regulation 3(4),

(b)

in regulation 4—

(i)

the words “in the case of a standard service,” in the substituted regulation 3(1)(a), and

(ii)

the substituted regulation 3(1)(b),

(c)

regulations 5, 7, 11 and 12 (and the reference to them in regulation 2(1)) and the Schedule,

(d)

in regulation 8, the substituted regulation 8(2)(b), and

(e)

in regulation 10, the substituted regulation 12(3)(c).

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

Tony McNulty
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,
Department for Transport