Explanatory note

Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) Regulations 1986 (S.I.1986/1671). Those Regulations set out the process that must be followed in order to register a local bus service with a traffic commissioner and these Regulations relate to the registration of services with stopping places in England.

Paragraph (2) defines “appropriate English authority” for the purpose of those Regulations. Paragraph (3) creates a requirement that a bus operator must provide each appropriate English authority with a copy of the complete draft of an application it intends to submit for registration, variation or cancellation of a service at least 28 days before it makes that application. It also provides that the applicant must not submit their application until the appropriate English authority has either confirmed receipt of that application or 28 days have elapsed, whichever is the earlier. It also provides that this requirement will only apply in respect of applications made on or after 24th April 2018 and that the requirement will not apply in cases where the period of notice of the registration or the effective date of the variation or cancellation is modified by the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services)(Franchising Schemes Transitional Provisions and Amendments)(England) Regulations 2018 (S.I.2018/406).

Paragraph (4) requires bus operators which have applied to vary or cancel a registration of a service (except certain excluded applications), to provide certain information to each appropriate English authority. That information relates to the numbers of passengers using that service, the types of tickets used by those passengers, the structure of the fares on that service and the revenue obtained from that service over a period of at least 12 months. That paragraph also prescribes rules about the disclosure of such information to other operators and providers of public transport and to other appropriate English authorities, in particular as to what information may be disclosed and in what circumstances.

Paragraph (5) reduces the notice period between the time when the traffic commissioner accepts an application for registration or for variation or cancellation of a local service and the time when the notice period expires in relation to that application from 56 days to 42 days. It also reduces the same period for applications for registrations, variations and cancellations in relation to community bus services from 28 days to 14 days.

Paragraph (6) requires the Secretary of State to review the operation and effect of these Regulations and to publish a report within five years after these Regulations come into force and in any event not later than 24th April 2023.

An impact assessment of the effect that this instrument will have on the costs of the private, public and voluntary sectors is available from the Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR (telephone 020 7944 5361). A copy may be obtained from the Department for Transport website (www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport). A copy of the assessment has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament. An Explanatory Memorandum is available alongside this instrument on the UK legislation website at www.legislation.gov.uk.