In early September I published a Government consultative paper, A New Institutional and Regulatory Framework for Public Transport. This document set out proposals for institutional and regulatory reform and invited public comment on them. These proposals have been generally welcomed by respondents to the public consultation. I have also consulted the social partners on the proposals through the public transport partnership forum.
In the meantime my Department is proceeding with the wide range of detailed background work required to flesh out the framework set out in the consultation paper. The public transport area of my Department has been restructured and an additional assistant secretary and staff have been assigned. My Department is also working within the current regulatory regime to increase private participation in the expansion of bus services in the greater Dublin area.
In July, 11 additional licences were announced for the greater Dublin area and the Minister of State and I have developed and revised more liberal guidelines for the licensing of bus services in the greater Dublin area. Subject to consultation with the public transport partnership forum and the Attorney General, I hope to announce a licensing round under these revised guidelines shortly.
My Department has engaged consultants to design and conduct a competition for the selection of an operator for Luas lines A, B and C. The consultants recently submitted their report to the Department with recommendations on how the competition should be structured and conducted. We hope the operator will be selected by October 2001 when the first trams for the three lines will be delivered.
My Department recently circulated draft heads of a Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Bill which will establish a new State agency with responsibility for the procurement of rail based public transport infrastructure projects, including the metro, on a public/private partnership basis. Prior to the establishment of this agency, the light rail project office has been given the task of beginning preliminary planning for the metro.