Under the European Communities (Road Passenger Transport) Regulations, all operators of road passenger services for hire or reward in buses equipped to carry more than nine persons are required to hold a road passenger transport operator's licence. Applicants for these licences must satisfy EC requirments in relation to good repute, appropriate financial standing and professional competence.
In addition to these requirements, persons wishing to operate scheduled passenger services are required under the terms of the Road Transport Act, 1932, to hold a road passenger licence in respect of each individual route. Before granting a licence for a particular service, the Minister must be satisfied (a) that the service in question is required in the public interest having regard to existing road and rail services on or in the neighbourhood of the proposed service; (b) that the proposed level of service is sufficient to meet the requirements of the public; and (c) that the organisation and equipment at the applicant's disposal are sufficient to enable the service to be operated in accordance with the conditions which the Minister considers should be attached to the proposed licence.
It is not departmental policy to publish information on individual operators in the context of these licensing requirements. Operational aspects of the school transport scheme, including the hiring of contractors for the provision of services, are day-to-day matters for Bus Éireann.
