I refer to comments made by Community Transport Association (CTA) Chief Executive Bill Freeman concerning the recent Judicial Review brought by the Bus and Coach Association (BCA) (see News, p14).
For Mr Freeman to refer to “the belated shift in position by BCA” as a victory for the arguments that CTA and other interested parties have been making for many years is an astonishing statement.
BCA and its members have no problem with genuine community transport operators. That has always been our view. But the devil is in the details of the principles agreed between DfT and BCA.
Interested parties were opposed to those agreed principles. They would put some larger CTOs in a difficult position. These are often organisations that act like bus groups and go far beyond their primary objectives. That was clear in earlier cases involving such CTOs.
An acceptance of commerciality will have consequences regarding drivers. Local authorities (LAs) will have to be aware of their duty of care. Many have already ceased awarding contracts to CTOs. I believe more will follow.
However, the distribution of Section 19 and Section 22 permits can still only be described as being like confetti. The issue of permit issuing must be a priority.
Martin Allen
Bus and Coach Association
