Clause 32 - Meaning of ''permit scheme''
Traffic Management Bill
4:30 pm
Mr Christopher Chope (Christchurch, Conservative)
This is a completely different subject: permit schemes. Following their consultation, the Government have come up with an interesting concept. Those people who will end up operating the permit schemes have a number of concerns about the proposals.
One of those concerns is reflected in amendment No. 167, which would avoid delaying work and increasing red tape in areas that are not prone to significant levels of traffic, thus enabling the focus to be on managing those areas where congestion is greatest. The amendment would also alleviate fears that the permit system is about generating revenue for local authorities rather than about improving co-ordination. There is an important precedent. Clause 64(2)(a) in part 3 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 refers to traffic-sensitive areas, so the provisions apply only to areas where traffic is a sensitive issue. It is of some surprise to people that the Government have not included a restriction to the application of permit schemes to traffic-sensitive streets in the same way as under the 1991 Act. Much of the work undertaken by the utilities is in urban streets and is of short duration and high volume, thereby creating little congestion. Permit schemes could have the greatest effect on reducing congestion by focusing on streets where traffic is at its greatest. The danger of permit schemes being all embracing is that local authorities would drown in a volume of permit applications, unless they increased their resources considerably, and they might mismanage instances where congestion is severe. There is also the question of how quickly people could obtain permits. One of the greatest concerns that many people have when dealing with local authorities is the time that it takes to receive an answer to a question. A scheme will not be effective if it is too complicated and too bound up with red tape. That is why I hope that the Government will accept the amendment.
Amendment No. 185 would remove the definition specified in the clause. I do not know whether my hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne will speak to that amendment also, but the key point is to try to ensure that any permit scheme is restricted to the areas in which it will provide some benefit.