Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 31 Jan 1996

Vol. 460 No. 7

Written Answers - Passenger Licence Application.

Austin Deasy

Ceist:

32 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications if he will make a decision with regard to an application for an occasional passenger licence for a person (details supplied) in County Cork in view of his reply to a Parliamentary Question in this regard on 21 June 1995. [1966/96]

Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications (Mr. Lowry)

The person named has applied to my Department for a passenger licence to provide a late night bus service between South Main Street and the Hilltop Hotel, Youghal. As was indicated previously to the Deputy, consideration of this application is complicated by the fact that another bus operator is already licensed to provide a service on the route in question. Furthermore, my Department has also received a number of applications from other bus operators in respect of the same route.

However, following a thorough reappraisal of the case, I have decided in principle that there are good grounds for allowing additional operators to provide late night services on the route in question on a trial basis for a period of six months. The exact details of the additional services to be licensed, including the number and identity of the operators, are being worked out and I hope to be in touch with the Deputy very shortly in this regard. There will be a review at the end of the trial period to assess the viability of the new arrangements, including their impact on the existing licensed service. The experience of the Garda as regards the licensees' compliance with traffic and parking regulations will be an important factor in my Department's review of the experiment.