M. J. Nolan
Question:132 Mr. Nolan asked the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications the reason for the undue delay in issuing an occasional passenger licence to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Written Answers. - Occasional Passenger Licence.
The person named applied to my Department in July 1992 for an occasional passenger licence to provide a bus service between Borris and Carlow. Occasional passenger licences are issued in accordance with the terms of the Road Transport Act, 1932. In considering whether to grant or refuse an application for a passenger licence under that Act, my Department is required to have regard to the extent of other passenger road services and other forms of public transport available on or in the neighbourhood of the route of the proposed service. In view of these restrictions, the scope for granting new licences to private bus operators is very limited.
Consideration of this particular application was complicated by the fact that a number of applications had already been received for the provision of services on or in the neighbourhood of the route in question. The complex issues raised by these prior submissions were only recently resolved. Only then did it become possible to consider fully the application to which the Deputy refers. That process has now been concluded and unfortunately I find that in view of the services already available in the area it is not possible to issue an occasional passenger licence in this instance.
I am reviewing the proposals for the liberalisation of the bus industry which have been prepared by my Department. As soon as I have completed this review I will be submitting comprehensive proposals in the matter to the Government. Major objectives of the proposed new legislation will be to improve the levels and quality of bus services available to the general public and to facilitate the introduction of competition on a sensible and orderly basis.