Competition & Transport Law

Public authorities involved in passenger transport face increasing scrutiny of the legitimacy of their policies and processes and their duties to consult and avoid direct or indirect discrimination. The threat of Appeal to Tribunals, Judicial Review and references to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) is ever present. Service delivery, whether operated directly or under contract, contains requirements for a range of health and safety risk assessments, and, where there are failures, negligence claims often follow. The responsibilities are proportionately greater where the authority is in loco parentis or has a specific duty of care because of the potentially vulnerable nature of the passengers.

We have many years’ experience of providing practical support and guidance to local government on policy and practice development and maintain a library of relevant court and tribunal cases and of LGO decisions covering passenger transport. We are up to date with departmental and regulatory authority guidance and regularly contribute to their development.

Our consultants provide specific, technically informed advice in respect of road passenger transport provision for passengers with disabilities and medical conditions; competition aspects of public procurement and on specific issues around appropriate licensing and operation of taxi, private hire car, ambulance, Permit and PSV operations as well as unconventional modes. We provide an ‘expert witness’ service to the courts in duty of care accident cases.

If you would like to discuss this with us please contact our office on 01772 204988 or send us an email.