Michael Ring
Question:257 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications when an application for a road passenger service licence by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved. [12054/97]
Written Answers - Road Passenger Licence.
The person named applied to my Department in January 1997 for a road passenger licence to provide a weekend bus service between Achill, County Mayo and Letterkenny, County Donegal. Such licences are issued in accordance with the terms of the Road Transport Act, 1932. In considering whether to grant an application for a passenger licence under that Act, my Department is required to have regard to the extent of authorised 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. The scope for granting passenger licences, is, therefore, limited.
With regard to the application referred to by the Deputy, my Department was not in a position to give its approval as there was a significant degree of overlap between the proposed service and authorised services already provided by other operators on various sections of the route in question.
The applicant's case was reviewed recently in the light of the Deputy's renewed representations. However, I regret that no new factors have emerged to merit a change in the original decision.