Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 3.20 of his Department's consultation on the use of section 19 and section 22 permits for road passenger transport in Great Britain, whether the West Lancashire Dial A Ride services will be considered as only incidental to a main, non-transport occupation and therefore exempt under EU and UK regulations on PSV.

There are wide variations between different community transport organisations and the work that they do. This Department cannot advise on whether or not a specific community transport organisation can continue to provide the services it currently operates in reliance on permits instead of an operating licence. I would encourage community transport providers who are unsure about their position to seek independent advice. The Community Transport Association’s Advice Service may be able to help. They are available on: 0345 130 6195, between 10:00 - 16:00, on Monday to Friday.

The Department’s consultation on how Regulation 1071/2009 applies to permits under the Transport Act 1985 has now closed and over 500 responses have been received. The Department will analyse the responses fully and provide a summary response before summer recess.