asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy towards fixed-route taxis known as jinties.
Under taxi and hire-car legislation, which is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, vehicles cannot offer services at separate fares as public service vehicles do. But it is open to any psv operator in the exercise of his commercial judgment to apply to the traffic commissioners for a road service licence for a service on a fixed route, but without fixed stops, using whatever size of vehicle seems to him appropriate—including cars. I have an open mind about the likely value of such services. A current experimental service in Leighton Buzzard, arranged jointly by the county council and the local NBC subsidiary, and using midibuses, has sections with no fixed stops and may throw some light on this.