Infrastructure Act 2015

9 Watchdog

(1) The Passengers’ Council must carry out activities to protect and promote the interests of users of highways for which a strategic highways company is the highway authority.

(2) Those activities may include investigating, publishing reports or giving advice to the Secretary of State on—

(a) how a strategic highways company’s exercise of its functions or achievement of its objectives under a Road Investment Strategy affects users of highways for which it is the highway authority, and

(b) any other matters—

(i) relating to highways for which a strategic highways company is the highway authority, and

(ii) which the Council considers to be of interest to users of such highways.

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations provide that those activities may not relate to a matter—

(a) to the extent specified;

(b) subject to compliance with specified conditions.

(4) The Secretary of State must consult the Council before making regulations under subsection (3).

(5) The Secretary of State must, in exercising functions under this Part, have regard to any advice given to him or her by the Council under this section.

(6) The Council may by agreement with a local highway authority carry out activities to protect and promote the interests of users of highways for which the authority is the highway authority.

(7) Those activities may include investigating, publishing reports or giving advice to the local highway authority on any matters—

(a) relating to highways for which the authority is the highway authority, and

(b) which the authority and the Council consider to be of interest to users of such highways.

(8) In Part 6 of Schedule 1 to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (other public bodies and offices: general), at the appropriate place insert—

• “The Passengers’ Council.”