Bus legislation before Parliament

The Government is to give more local authorities in England powers to take control of bus services, under legislation going before Parliament today.

Louise Haigh, Secretary of State for Transport, says the changes will deliver a ‘bus revolution’ that will save vital routes.

The legislation will allow all authorities to introduce a franchising system, under which they can decide routes, timetables, and fares, with operators bidding to run services for a fixed fee.

Some industry figures, however, have said minimum service levels should also be set out, as routes and timetables have faced cuts in recent years.