Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support coach access to major domestic tourism destinations; and whether he is working with local authorities to improve (a) parking, (b) drop-off facilities and (c) infrastructure for coach operators serving the domestic visitor economy.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Issues relating to domestic tourism are a matter for DCMS. It is for local authorities to decide on local transport policies for their area, and we encourage local authorities to consider all modes of transport, including facilities for coaches.
We will publish the Integrated National Transport Strategy later this year, which will focus on how transport should be better designed, built and operated to serve the people who use it. It will also enable local leaders to get on and deliver good transport that is right for their communities, as they know best in terms of the opportunities and barriers facing their areas.
Asked by: Chris Webb (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reviewing the regulatory framework applying to coaches.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK coach sector was deregulated by the Transport Act 1980 and services are operated on a commercial basis without receiving government funding. Where coaches provide local bus services, they may be required to comply with the relevant legislation governing those services. Operation of buses and coaches requires a Public Service Vehicle Operator’s Licence and there are currently no plans to change that overarching regulatory framework.
We are continuing to review the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, seeking to understand how well the Regulations serve disabled coach passengers.