Dessie Ellis
Question:749 Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the licences required for a registered charity to provide a school bus service in respect of children with special needs. [7968/12]
View answerTuesday, 14 February 2012
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Written answers
The legislation governing bus passenger route licensing is the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009 which excludes bus services solely for carrying children to or from school from its definition of a public bus passenger service. Therefore such school services do not require a bus passenger route licence.
The carriage of passengers otherwise than for profit in vehicles owned by voluntary organisations, is exempt from the requirement to hold a road passenger transport operator's licence by my Department, under the recently enacted Road Transport Act, 2011. Any such organisation can make contact with the Road Transport Operator Licensing Unit of my Department to confirm that the particulars of its operation falls within that exemption.
I should add that any such school bus service would need to consult with the Garda Síochána concerning compliance with vehicle and safety standard requirements.