Explanatory note

This Order amends the Competition Act 1998 (Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption) Order 2001 (“the 2001 Order”). The 2001 Order is a block exemption order under section 6 of the Competition Act 1998 (“the Act”), which gives effect to the OFT’s recommendation that public transport ticketing schemes (as defined in the 2001 Order) for local transport services constitute a category of agreements which are likely to be agreements to which section 9(1) of the Act applies. Agreements which fall within the category specified in the 2001 Order are exempt from the prohibition in Chapter 1 of the Act.

The 2001 Order (as amended by the Competition Act 1998 (Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption) (Amendment) Order 2005) would cease to have effect at the end of the period of ten years from 1st March 2001 and this Order extends the period of the 2001 Order to fifteen years commencing on the same date.

Guidance on the block exemption is available from the OFT at www.oft.gov.uk. A full Regulatory Impact Assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET and at www.bis.gov.uk and is annexed to the Explanatory Memorandum which is available alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.