I think I better start a new thread on flexible services as it seams thats what tuc tucs and many others are operating under. Here are a few details although we have gone through this before but it needs a little more scrutiny now that more people seem to be operating under it.
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Flexible bus registration information note
New regulations affecting all bus services, community bus permit holders and flexible services will come into force on 23 February 2004. Whilst they start then, they do not affect existing services until you make a variation application.
All bus services have to provide:
• a service name or number
• a route map of 1:50000 scale or better
Community bus permit applications only have to give 28 days notice from 23 Feb 04
Flexible services
The new requirements aim to make it easier to register flexibly routed services, particularly those that run in areas that don’t have a good bus service. Existing flexible services can continue under the current rules until you make a variation application when they will have to comply with the rules set out below.
At the moment you can only run a flexibly-routed service in England & Wales. Scotland has its own different system of bus registration. Details can be found here.
The definition is a local service (ie journeys of less than 15 miles as the crow flies) that goes to one or more local communities or neighbourhoods within a specified geographical area. There may be fixed sections of the route but the vast majority of the journey is flexibly routed so you cannot define the roads you will use in advance. Seats must be pre-booked, be available to the general public and separate fares (ie each passenger pays the same fare for the same journey regardless of how many other passengers are on board) must be charged.
Applications go to the TAO that covers the majority of the area of operation or the majority of fixed stops (where there are any). Your correspondence address is needed but it can be changed at short notice and is a free change.
The area of operation must be shown on a map and be clearly defined – you can use simple boundaries ie roads, town boundaries or a square box etc. However it must not be too large. Fixed parts of the route (if there are any) must be shown on the map too. You do NOT have to have a published timetable, unless you want one, but seats must pre-booked. You can do this in a way that suits your business but you must make sure that potential passengers know how your booking system works.
You MUST keep records of the bookings you accept ie the date and time you will pick up and drop off the passenger together with the actual times on the day. Also you must keep a note of the passenger’s name and contact details. These records MUST be kept for 12 months – an agent can keep them on your behalf. This may have an impact under the Data Protection Act so you should check out your responsibilities with them too.
There are three main types of flexible service: many to 1 where you pick people up from several places (possibly their home) and take them to one location ie the local hospital. The opposite type is the 1 to many where you pick people up at one point but drop them off at several places. Finally there is the many to many service, which gives most flexibility, so you can pick up and drop off anywhere in your area of operation. Other examples are given in the guidebook.
To run these types of service you must provide enough information about your plans so that people know what to expect. So, you must display the following details on the bus and in your publicity material:
• your flexible area of operation and that the service is open to the general public
• the stopping arrangements at all your stops including any changes that happen at different times of the day
• how bookings can be made (including any time limits ie 9am-5pm), how flexible stopping points will be identified, whether every customer’s demands will be met and if not, what happens then
• the timetable at fixed stops and the way times will be allocated for flexible stops must be provided
• how fares are worked out for each journey (this must be easy to understand and based on separate fares)
When you agree times with your passengers you have some freedom to arrive near to, rather than exactly on, the agreed time. So you will have a time window for collecting and delivering your passengers. This can be up to 20 minutes so you must make sure that your passengers know what to expect in advance.
Bus Service Operators Grant is also affected and details can be found in PSV360 or at
www.dft.gov.uk under ‘local transport’ and ‘buses’.
A more detailed guidebook and an application form are also available at
www.vosa.gov.uk
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