(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) Regulations 1986 by:—

(a)

prescribing new particulars which must be registered before a local service may be provided and specifying two classes of service, standard and flexible, for that purpose (regulations 3, 5 and the Schedule);

(b)

amending the requirements for applications to register particulars of a service (regulation 4);

(c)

reducing the notice period for community bus services to 28 days and making minor amendments to the provisions about notice periods and minor service variations (regulations 6, 7 and 8);

(d)

making new provision for the display of service information in and on vehicles and the publication of information about flexible services (regulation 11);

(e)

imposing requirements as to the records which must be kept about the operation of flexible services (regulation 12);

(f)

making minor and consequential amendments and revoking spent provisions.

The Regulations also contain transitional provisions to preserve the validity of an existing registration until such time as an application made to vary the registration takes effect. There are some exceptions to that rule (regulation 13).

A Regulatory Impact Assessment covering these Regulations and the contemporaneous Bus Service Operators Grant (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2004 has been prepared and copies may be obtained from the Buses and Taxis Division of the Department for Transport, Zone 3/13, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR (telephone number 020 7944 2275) or viewed on the Department’s website, www. dft.gov.uk. A copy has been placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.