30 August 2007
Pilot Bus Warden Scheme to operate in several council areas
SPT reaches landmark agreement to make bus industry comply with contract regulations
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has reached agreement with a number of local councils in the West of Scotland to provide bus wardens to enforce current bus regulations – a move that has the full support of the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland.
Uniformed enforcement officers are now being recruited by SPT for a pilot project to target “cowboy bus operators” in Paisley town centre. Negotiations are also on-going with South Lanarkshire and Glasgow councils for similar operations in Hamilton and Glasgow City centre.
The Traffic Commissioner has powers to ensure that bus companies adhere to the regulations in their bus contracts. SPT will now be in Partnership with the Commissioner and councils to make sure they do.
"You might put it this way - the bus industry has to provide what it says on the tin," said Eric Stewart, SPT’s director of bus operations. "Many of the big companies do so but we are now going to target the rogue operators who don’t."
Among the areas where action can be taken to enforce compliance are:
- Operators publishing a timetable;
- Operators running to timetable;
- Operators giving clear information of bus destinations and ownership of buses;
- Operators having fleet colours, recognisable buses and uniformed staff.
The Traffic Commissioner of Scotland, Joan Aitken, said: "These additional monitors in Strathclyde will help raise standards. I commend SPT for putting this investment into working towards greater standards for the travelling public."
The Traffic Commissioner for Scotland is one of eight in the UK, appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport. They are responsible for licensing operators of bus and coach vehicles and the registration of local bus services.
The pilot project in Paisley is likely to be up and running from October. SPT Inspectors will be given the power to ensure operators run the services they have registered with the Traffic Commissioner and to the standard required.
SPT is making its team of bus industry professional available, free of charge, to Renfrewshire Council to police local bus services. Initially SPT is recruiting six service compliance inspectors, with this number expected to reach up to 20 in the future. Through this agency agreement, SPT inspectors will be empowered to move buses on from bus stops as soon as passengers have boarded.
They will also have the power to insist that drivers switch off engines, if the bus is caught in stationary traffic for more than 2 minutes. Buses will no longer be allowed to park up in the town with their engines running.
If irregularities are detected, findings will be reported. The Commissioner has powers to fine operators for non compliance and ultimately to withdraw licences.
Eric Stewart added: "What we’ll be doing is ensuring the legal compliance with their conditions is carried out. We believe that bus operators who are infringing conditions will soon realise if someone is watching them then they’ll have to raise their game or pay the price."
ends