The Department for Infrastructure has made a Statutory Order entitled “The Bus Operator (Coronavirus, Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 ” (S.R. 2021 No. 62), which comes into operation on 12th March 2021.

The First Minister and deputy First Minister, acting jointly, made a determination on 3rd November 2020 that exceptional circumstances existed for licensed bus operators, including financial hardship arising from the loss of business, as a consequence of the outbreak of Coronavirus.

Accordingly, the Bus Operator (Coronavirus, Financial Assistance) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020 No. 282) provided for the setting up of a Scheme, “the Bus Operator Financial Assistance Scheme 2020” (“the 2020 Scheme”), under which the Department for Infrastructure made financial assistance payments to eligible licensed bus operators towards directly incurred overhead costs and expenses. This initial Scheme covered the 1st April 2020 to 30th September 2020 period.

On 23rd February 2021, the First Minister and deputy First Minister, acting jointly, made a further determination recognising that exceptional circumstances continue to exist for licensed bus and coach operators, including financial hardship arising from the loss of business, as a consequence of the outbreak of Coronavirus.

These Regulations therefore provide for the setting up of a further Scheme “the Bus Operator Financial Assistance Scheme 2021” under which the Department for Infrastructure may make financial assistance payments to eligible licensed bus operators who have suffered because of the exceptional circumstances identified over the 1st October 2020 to 31st March 2021 period. The eligibility criteria and the basis of the Scheme remains the same as before, i.e. to provide financial assistance in relation to directly incurred overhead costs and expenses. However the maximum amount payable cap of £100,000 that applied to the 2020 Scheme has been removed. In addition, any person whose 2020 Scheme payment was restricted by that £100,000 cap, may, under this Scheme, receive a supplementary payment which will be the amount in excess of £100,000 that would otherwise have been paid had their 2020 Scheme payment not been restricted by that cap.

Copies of the Rule may be purchased from the Stationery Office at www.tsoshop.co.uk or by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0870 600 5522 or viewed online at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr.