Local Transport Bill [HL] Bill

moved Amendment No. 11B: 11B: Before Clause 12, insert the following new Clause— ““Tendered Network Zones After section 113 on the TA 2000 insert— ““Tendered Network Zones (1) Where the majority of route miles are subject to tender by the local transport authority, the authority may designate the area covered by these routes a ““Tendered Network Zone””. (2) In designating an area as a ““Tendered Network Zone”” the authority shall propose a network of bus services encompassing commercial, tendered and deminimis local bus services. (3) If an authority or authorities propose to designate a ““Tendered Network Zone”” they must give notice of the proposed network scheme in at least one newspaper circulating in the area to which it relates. (4) The notice must either contain full details of any registration restrictions and registration criteria, or state where such details may be inspected. (5) After giving notice of the proposed network scheme, the authority or authorities must consult— (a) all operators of local services who would, in the opinion of the authority or authorities, be affected by it, (b) such organisations appearing to the authority or authorities to be representative of users of local services as they think fit, (c) any other relevant local authority any part of whose area would, in the opinion of the authority or authorities, be affected by it, (d) the traffic commissioner for each traffic area covering the whole or part of the area to which it relates, (e) the chief officer of police for each police area covering the whole or part of that area, and such other persons as the authority or authorities think fit. (6) For the purposes of subsection (5) the following are relevant local authorities— (a) local transport authorities (b) metropolitan district councils (c) London transport authorities, and (d) councils in Scotland (7) In designating the ““Tendered Network Zone”” the authority shall define the registration restrictions and registration criteria for local bus services in that area. (8) If the authority or authorities consider that it is necessary or expedient for any restrictions to be imposed on the registration of— (a) any local services, or (b) any local services of a particular description, they may impose those restrictions (““registration restrictions””) by specifying or describing them in the scheme. (9) Any restrictions so imposed must be for the purpose of preventing or restricting— (a) the provision of local services (b) the variation of withdrawal of local services, in cases where the authority or authorities consider that any such provision, or (as the case may be) variation or withdrawal, of services might be detrimental to the provision of services under the scheme. (10) Where a scheme includes any registration restrictions by virtue of subsection (8), it must also specify the criteria (““registration criteria””) by reference to which the traffic commissioners are to decide whether or not to accept an application for registration. (11) In subsections (8) to (10), ““registration””, in relation to any service— (a) means registration of prescribed particulars of the service under section 6 of the Transport Act 1985 (registration of local services), and (b) includes a reference to the variation or cancellation of any such registration. (12) The standard of services which may be specified in a scheme includes requirements as to frequency or timing of the services.”””” The noble Lord said: The amendment may represent one solution to the problems raised by the noble Baroness and my noble friend Lord Snape to the boundary problems. Notwithstanding what my noble friend has said, there always will be boundary problems, and it is a question of how one deals with them. This proposal, which is supported by ATCO—the Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers—is for tendered network zones, a new structure which would enable a local transport authority to co-ordinate one clearly identified network of bus services, which cover what one might call the commercial or tendered side, and the small local bus services. It would cover more than one route and there would clearly be a lot of synergy between the services included in this and in the other networks and services. As drafted, existing local bus services would not be affected by the tendered network zone designation, except that they would not be able to make changes except on the dates agreed by the local transport authority and those changes would be expected to be in accordance with the supporting criteria. This may be a solution to enabling local authorities in areas where most services are tendered to provide better co-ordination by integrating all the bus services in an overall network. I beg to move.