Clause 3
Concessionary Bus Travel Bill [Lords]
12:00 pm
John Leech (Shadow Minister, Transport; Manchester, Withington, Liberal Democrat)
We are happy to support the amendment. It is vital to ensure that the system of payments to operators works effectively. The added complication of widening it to a national scheme will no doubt make it more complicated. Ultimately, we want to see the swift implementation of a smartcard system that allows direct payments to operators, so that no local authority is better or worse off under the payments scheme.
When we reach the next amendment, I am sure that the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge will explain how the existing scheme has caused Tyne and Wear PTA serious trouble. We therefore need a review after two years, but we also need to look at a smartcard system in the longer term to ensure that payments for every single journey go directly to the operators.