Vol. 454 No. 6
203 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the current position regarding an application for an occasional passenger licence which was submitted to his Department in December 1994 by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo, taking into account the fact that the delay in granting the licence is causing great hardship to the applicant. [11163/95]
The person named applied to my Department in December 1994 for an occasional passenger licence to provide a bus service between Doolough Cross, County Mayo and Belmullet. 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 passenger road services and other forms of passenger transport available to the public on or in the neighbourhood of the route of the proposed service.
Consideration of this particular application is complicated by the fact that a number of applications have been received from other bus operators to provide passenger services in the area in question. The assessment of all of the relevant application is nearing completion and I expect to be in a position to advise the Deputy of the outcome in the very near future.
