REFINING BUS DEREGULATION: IS THE MESSAGE GETTING ACROSS?

Before finalising plans for deregulating bus services in London, the Department of Transport (DTp) is consulting provincial bus operators and local authorities on both fine-tuning the regulations for the rest of the UK, and for providing information for passengers. This article examines the prospects for improving standards. The DTp is seeking views on the following questions in its deregulation review: (1) Is information for passengers adequate and how could it be improved? (2) Should registration of services still be required? (3) Should operators have a statutory right to participate in travel card schemes on a fair basis? (4) How far is town-centre bus congestion caused by buses, and what could be done about it? (5) What should be done about parked vehicles which obstruct bus stops? (6) What measures could be taken to simplify procedures for tendering for local bus services? (7) How can the rules for operating bus services be enforced more effectively? The DTp recently issued a consultation paper on possible changes to a range of issues affecting the operation of local bus services outside London. Although it defends the principle of deregulation, it has taken account of passengers' complaints. It has commissioned research from the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) into the types of information that passengers find most valuable and on the effects of variation in information provision on patronage of bus services. There are three other relevant research studies on information provision.