01 September 2006
Subsidies for privately operated bus services are to be made available in Northern Ireland for the first time through a Passenger Transport Authority, transport minister David Cairns has announced.
The subsidies are to be paid for through a reduction in the capital allocations for new buses to the state-owned Translink company. Translink will, though, continue to be the main public transport operator. The PTA will commission services on behalf of the Department for Regional Development, with the PTA publicly accountable through the involvement of the seven new local authorities.
The councils are being established in place of the existing 26 district councils as a result of the review of public administration, which recommended that the new authorities should be involved in the planning of bus services.
Cairns said: 'Government is committed to improving public transport services. Over the three-year period to March 2008, we are spending some £400m on public transport. This is funding the purchase of new buses and trains and improving the quality of public transport infrastructure.'
But councillor Peter Weir, president of the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, said he was 'amazed' at the announcement. 'I have no doubt there are major opportunities for improvements,' he said, but added that NILGA had not been consulted about the proposals.
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