CONDUCT OF BUS COMPANIES

That this House welcomes the findings of the Office of Fair Trading report on bus competition; agrees with its main conclusion that limited bus competition is resulting in private operators charging higher prices and providing a lower quality of services for passengers; notes that established bus companies in towns like Halifax eliminate competition by acting aggressively towards small bus companies; condemns private operators who are only interested in making money and are not interested in the needs of passengers and local communities; recognises that the de-regulated bus system brought in by the Conservative government in the 1980s with the aim of increasing competition and lowering fares has failed miserably; welcomes action from this Government to increase bus accountability; calls for more to be done to ensure that profit-driven private bus monopolies are eradicated; and further calls on the Government to make a commitment to restoring a fully regulated bus system at the earliest opportunity.