Local Transport Act 2008

40 Power of authorities to provide services in exceptional circumstances

(1) After section 132B of the TA 2000 insert—

“132C Power of authorities to provide services in exceptional circumstances

(1) This section applies where a person who has agreed to provide a service (“the old service”) in accordance with a quality contract ceases to do so before the end of the period for which the contract was intended to have effect.

(2) The authority, or any one of the authorities, who entered into the quality contract may, in accordance with subsections (4) to (8) and section 132D, provide a local service (an “interim service”) in place of the old service or any part of it.

(3) Subsection (2) has effect notwithstanding any prohibition, restriction or limitation contained in any other enactment on the power of the authority to provide local services.

(4) An authority who provide an interim service of any description must hold a PSV operator’s licence to which no condition is attached under section 26 of the Transport Act 1985 (power of traffic commissioner to attach conditions to licence) prohibiting the authority from using vehicles under the licence to provide services of that description.

(5) Subsection (6) applies if—

(a) an authority provide an interim service in place of an old service or any part of an old service, and

(b) the authority or authorities who entered into the quality contract for the provision of the old service propose to enter into a quality contract for the provision of a replacement service in place of that service or (as the case may be) that part.

(6) The authority, or the authorities acting jointly, must invite tenders (in accordance with section 130) for the provision of the replacement service—

(a) as soon as reasonably practicable after the authority providing the interim service begin to do so, and

(b) in any event no later than three months after the date on which provision of the old service ceased.

(7) But subsection (6) does not apply if the authority, or the authorities acting jointly, decide to secure the provision of the replacement service under section 131 (circumstances in which quality contracts may be entered into without inviting tenders).

(8) The particulars of an interim service, or of a replacement service, need not be identical to the particulars of the old service, or that part of the old service, which it replaces.

(9) In this section—

• “enactment” includes an enactment comprised in subordinate legislation (within the meaning of the Interpretation Act 1978);

• “interim service” has the meaning given by subsection (2);

• “the old service” has the meaning given by subsection (1);

• “replacement service” means a local service provided under a quality contract in place of an old service or any part of an old service.

132D Period for which interim service may be provided

(1) This section applies for the purpose of determining the period for which an authority may provide an interim service which is provided in place of—

(a) an old service (“the relevant service”), or

(b) part of an old service (“the relevant part”).

(2) If the authority do not, within the period of three months beginning with the date on which provision of the relevant service ceased,—

(a) enter into a quality contract to provide a replacement service in place of the relevant service or (as the case may be) the relevant part, or

(b) issue an invitation to tender in pursuance of section 132C(6),

the authority must not provide the interim service after the end of that period.

(3) If the authority enter into a quality contract to provide such a replacement service within the period mentioned in subsection (2), the authority must not provide the interim service after the earlier of the following dates—

(a) the date on which the replacement service is first provided;

(b) the date falling nine months after the date on which the interim service is first provided.

(4) If the authority issue invitations to tender in pursuance of section 132C(6) within the period mentioned in subsection (2) (but do not enter into a quality contract to provide such a replacement service within that period), the authority must not provide the interim service after the earlier of the following dates—

(a) the date on which a replacement service is first provided in place of the relevant service or (as the case may be) the relevant part;

(b) the date determined in accordance with subsection (5).

(5) The date is the later of—

(a) the date falling nine months after the date on which the interim service is first provided;

(b) such date, not later than three months after the date mentioned in paragraph (a), as may be determined by the traffic commissioner on the application of the authority.

(6) The traffic commissioner may determine a date under subsection (5)(b) only if satisfied that there is a realistic prospect that, if the determination is made, a replacement service will be provided in place of the relevant service or (as the case may be) the relevant part on or before that date.

(7) An application under paragraph (b) of subsection (5) must be made—

(a) to the traffic commissioner for the traffic area in which the interim service is provided (or, if the service is provided in more than one such area, to the traffic commissioner for any of those areas), and

(b) not later than one month before the date mentioned in paragraph (a) of that subsection.

(8) The authority must not make more than one application under subsection (5)(b) in respect of any interim service.

(9) In this section—

• “interim service” and “replacement service” have the meaning given in section 132C;

• “the relevant service” and “the relevant part” have the meaning given in subsection (1);

and, in any case where the authority entered into the quality contract for the provision of the relevant service jointly with one or more other authorities, references in this section to the authority entering into a quality contract for a replacement service, or issuing invitations to tender for such contracts, are references to those authorities acting jointly.”.

(2) In section 162(4) of the TA 2000 (provisions where references to Passenger Transport Authorities are to be read as references to Passenger Transport Executives) at the appropriate place insert—

• “section 132C,

• section 132D,”.

(3) In section 66(1) of the TA 1985 (exclusion of powers of certain councils to run bus undertakings) after “subsection (2) below” insert “and to section 132C of the Transport Act 2000”.