The Regulation of the Land Transport Management Act, approved by Royal Decree 1211/1990 of 28 September 1990 and amended by Royal Decree 1136/1997 of 11 July 1997, provides in Article 28 that the Occasional public transport of passengers by bus will not be subject to compulsory tariffs, although the Minister for Public Works will be able to point out reference rates for them.

The last reference rates were fixed for these services by the Order of the Minister of Public Works of 31 July 2000, having appreciated the desirability of accommodating them to the variations experienced since then by the different items that integrate their cost structure.

Following the criteria established in this field by previous orders, the new rates are determined, in the case of services provided with buses of nine or more meters in length, not only according to the kilometers routes, but also in relation to the quality of the transport service according to the degree of comfort and benefits offered to the user.

To do this, the classification of vehicles in four categories is maintained, from one to four stars, depending on the comfort and interior and exterior of the bus, with nomenclature and conditions adapted to the determined by the Confederation of Road Transport (CTC), as a representative in our country of the International Union of Road Transport (IRU), fixing an appropriate rate for each of these categories according to a tour a theoretical of 70,000 kilometres per year per vehicle which, according to the data provided by the Directorate-General for Transport by Road, constitutes the average of the use of buses dedicated to the performance of services of inter-urban discretionary transport.

Following, in addition, the criteria already laid down in this field, the rates for the special cases in which double-decker buses and buses of less than nine metres are used are indicated. These assumptions do not establish a tariff differentiation according to a classification by category.

For the update of the reference rates fixed in July 2000, the cost structure of the same services has been applied to the same increase in the price of diesel since 1 April 2000 and in the other items of the variation between October 1999 and September 2000.

In its virtue, in the use of the authorization granted in article 28 of the Regulations of the Law of Land Transport Management, and previous report of the National Committee of the Road Transport and the National Council of Land Transport, I have:

First. Category of vehicles.-The effects of the application of the reference rates as determined in the following paragraph, a classification of the buses from one to four stars is established, depending on the conditions of the minimum, which for each of these categories is specified in the Annex to this Order, or double-decker buses or a length of less than nine metres are used.

In any case, those buses which have obtained the classification of one (*), two (**), three (***) or four (****) stars by the Confederation of Transport shall be considered to have been framed in each of these categories. by Road (CTC).

Second. Reference rates.-The reference rates for the inter-city public occasional passenger bus services by bus shall be as follows, according to the category of vehicles:

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Reference rate -Pesets/vehicle/kilometre Reference rate -Euros/vehicle/kilometre Vehicle category

* ...................... 130 0.78 ** ..................... 150 0.90 *** .................... 160 0.96 **** ................... 175 1.05 Double Floor ......... 185 1.11 Length less than 9 meters ..... 110 0.66

Third. Exclusion of taxes and other expenses. -The above mentioned rates refer to cash payment and do not include the Value Added Tax or any other indirect tax that is applicable for the reason of the territory, the expenses of tolls, shipments or the like, or any other expenditure involving a different or additional activity to the specific transport activity.

Fourth. Implementing measures-The Director-General of Road Transport will take the necessary measures for the implementation and development of this Order.

Fifth. The Ministerial Order of 31 July 2000 establishing reference rates for the occasional public transport services of passengers by bus is hereby repealed.

Sixth. Effects. This Order will produce effects on 1 January 2001.

Madrid, 18 December 2000.

ALVEZ-HELMETS FERNANDEZ

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ANNEX

CategoriesClassification Criteria/Minimum Conditions * ** *** ****

1. Engine power:

Relationship between engine power in Kw and P.M.A. in tons (Kw/t) ..................................................................................... 7.4 8.8 11 11

2. Brakes:

2.1 Hydraulic or Electrical Rentorizer ..........................................-Yes Yes. 2.2 ABS .................................................................................-Yes Yes

3. Suspension:

3.1 Classic .............................................................................. Yes--3.2 Mixed ................................................................................--Yes -3.3 Fully pneumatic .........................................................--Yes

4. Comfort:

4.1 Distance between peer points of seats in the same direction (centimeters) .............................................................. 68.0 72.0 77 83 4.2 Minimum distance between opposing seat backs (centimeters) .......................................................................... 130.0 138.0 148 160 4.3 Length of support development from the non-deformed seat to the highest point of the seat (centimeters) ............. 52.0 65.0 68 68 4.4 Regulation of inclination of the seat-back of all seats measured with Relationship to vertical .................................................--10.o 35.o 4.5 Number of armrests per couple of seats ....................... 1.0 1.0 2 2 4.6 Collapsible rest except on wall, which may be fixed. --------------------------------------------------------------------- (cm) ..................................................-------------------------------------------------------------- Separate ............................................................... --If 4.12 Portarmagazines ...................................................................--Yes Yes 4.13 Ceniceros (except in the non-smoking area) ......................... Yes Yes Yes

5. Air conditioning (in operation even when the vehicle is stationary):

5.1 Forced air (minimum 15 m3/h/passenger) with the possibility of individual regulation ..................................................................--Yes -5.2 Air conditioning (minimum 300 kcal/h/passenger) ...................-- -Yes

6. Heating (in operation even if the vehicle is stationary):

6.1 Engine Independent ......................................................--Yes 6.2 With automatic temperature regulation ..........................--Yes Yes

7. Moons:

7.1 Device (double glass or ventilation) ...............------------------------------------------------------ .......................-Yes Yes

8. Interior lighting:

8.1 Individual Reading Lamps ..............................................--Yes Yes

9. Address:

9.1 A speaker, at least, for eight seats .......................... Yes Yes-A speaker, at least, for four seats ........................---Yes 9.2 Microphone driver and guide .................................................. Yes Yes Yes 9.3 Radio and magneto ..........................................................-Yes Yes Yes

10. Baggage handlers:

10.1 Internal Hand Luggage .......................................... Yes Yes Yes Yes 10.2 Minimum hold capacity (in dm3/passenger) ................-75.0 120 150 10.3 Cellar Protective Coating ...--Yes Yes

11. Refrigerator:

11.1 Minimum volume available (0.5 dm3 per passenger) ................---Yes