The Infrastructure Minister said he makes no apology for pressing ahead with an application to extend loss-making dial-a-ride services .

ConnectVillages services in the north of the island are still operating under a licence granted as a 12-month trial in December 2018.

The Road Transport Licensing Committee has yet to determine an application to extend that licence because claims of anti-competitive practice are being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading and Tynwald committee.

Now Bus Vannin has applied to extend ’demand responsive transport’ to the west and central areas of the island.

In the House of Keys this week, there were calls for the RTLC to defer consideration of the latest applications.

Mr Thomas said the RTLC had been placed in an ’impossible position’.

’Wouldn’t it be better for the RTLC not to consider the application at the moment and the department to be reticent in providing demand responsive transport services and certainly not expanding that provision at this time with those two investigations ongoing?’ he asked.

Mr Baker made no apology for pressing ahead with the latest applications which he said will enhance public transport in the west and central parts so the island.

He said the department is being ’put in a very difficult position by the lack of decision making by the RTLC’.

An application to extend ConnectVillage’s licence was made in summer 2019. In the meantime its existing temporary licence has been extended indefinitely.

’Almost two years on we are still awaiting their determination. Quite why that’s the case will be known to the RTLC but not to myself,’ said Mr Baker.

’Is the Minister suggesting he should pay no cognisance at all to what should be an important investigation on the part of the OFT?’ asked Douglas East MHK Chris Robertshaw.

Mr Baker insisted he wasn’t suggesting that.

He said: ’The lack of clarity around the ongoing investigation probably makes the decision-making for the RTLC more difficult. However, that is a matter for then.

’We simply wish to improve public transport services across the island and deliver better value for taxpayers.’

Mr Baker said public transport requires continuing funding from Treasury and it was wrong to separate the fixed route and demand responsive elements of the network.