Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Jul 1993

Vol. 433 No. 5

Written Answers. - Participation by Bus Operators in Free Travel Scheme.

Michael Bell

Question:

52 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the criteria which private bus operators must meet in order to participate in his Department's free travel scheme for pensioners; if such participation is reviewed periodically; if so, the frequency of such reviews; if a register of such operators is compiled by his Department; and if so, if such a register is available for public scrutiny.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

Under the free travel scheme, arrangements have been in place for many years with a number of private bus and ferry operators for the conveyance of free travel passholders in certain parts of the country which are not being serviced by the CIE group of companies. Of the total estimated cost of the scheme in 1993 (£29.684 million), a sum of £0.858 million is expected to be paid to these private operators. The remainder will be paid to CIE.

It is open to any bus operator to apply to my Department to participate in the free travel scheme. Each application would have to be accompanied by documentation to verify the licensing, tax, insurance and safety position of the bus fleet in question. My Department would also have to be satisfied that there are no existing free travel scheme bus services in the same geographical area proposed by the application which adequately meet the needs already of people entitled to free travel. In addition, before a decision on an application could be made, sufficient Exchequer funds would have to be available to pay the additional cost of any proposed new bus service.

Individual participants in the scheme are reviewed by my Department to ensure that they comply with the various licensing and tax clearance conditions outlined above. These reviews normally are conducted each time bus operators seek a change in the rate of payment due them for the free travel services which they provide. Following a reappraisal of existing procedures earlier this year, the licensing and other conditions applicable to participants in the scheme are being reviewed every six months. As circumstances warrant, my Department also conducts surveys of the numbers of free travel passengers who use the bus fleets of scheme participants. These surveys are intended to ensure that the level of payment being made to the bus operators in question corresponds with free travel passenger volumes.

A list of the 30 private bus and ferry operators currently in the free travel scheme is available to any member of the public on request from my Department. I have arranged for this list to be forwarded to the Deputy.