Clause 61
Local Transport Bill [Lords]
6:15 pm
John Leech (Shadow Minister, Transport; Manchester, Withington, Liberal Democrat)
I beg to move amendment No. 261, in clause 61, page 54, line 26, at end insert—
‘(2) After subsection (1)(vii) insert—
“(viia) to require operators of public passenger services (within the meaning of section 9A) to display within any vehicle or premises used for providing those services information appropriate to enable users of those services to make representations (including complaints) about them to the Executive.
(viib) as a result of any representations (including complaints) it has received from users of public passenger services pursuant to subsection (1)(viia), to make and publish recommendations or representations in such manner and to such persons as the Executive sees fit.”’.
The amendment is fairly self-explanatory. It would require bus operators to display information in their vehicles and bus stations that detail how a customer can make a suggestion or a complaint about the services that they operate to the relevant passenger transport executive. It would also mean that the PTE could use the suggestions and complaints to inform any recommendations that it might wish to make about bus services. For example, it might want to inform the revamped Passenger Focus or the Secretary of State.
The problem is that much of the time people do not know to whom to make a complaint. Passengers get on buses and inevitably the person to whom they complain is the bus driver. I—and I am sure that this is the case for other hon. Members, too—have been told by numerous constituents who, having followed through their complaint or suggestion about the service to a bus driver, were told that the operator of the service knew nothing about it. That is mainly because the bus driver is too busy and forgets that a complaint or a suggestion was made or that such matters just never filter back to those who should handle such matters. The amendment would give people clear information about whom they can contact or speak to, and to whom they can make a complaint or suggestion. It is eminently sensible, and I hope that that the Government will take it on board.