Councils to be given power to run own bus services

The Scottish government is set to give local authorities the power to run their own bus services.

Ministers plan to use existing transport legislation to enable the move by July.

Secondary legislation to allow bus franchising and partnerships will also be introduced before the end of 2023.

The government said it gave councils "the flexible tools they need to respond to their own transport challenges".

It added that local authorities would have the power to run their own services "in any way they see fit within the wider context of their obligations".

Work on implementing the new bus legislation was put on hold in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The government said the pause had been necessary in order to "shift focus and support bus operators in navigating the pressures of the pandemic".

'Greater tools for councils'

Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said councils had asked for greater powers to run their own bus services.

She said: "Not every local authority will want to run their own bus services - some may opt for a partnership or franchise approach.

"What's key is that local authorities will soon have greater tools at their disposal to revitalise bus services where required."

She added: "Whether it's local authority-run bus services or private operators, there are shared challenges we need to address collectively to put bus at the heart of our green recovery."

Bus Service Improvement Partnerships are a new type of statutory partnership between local transport authorities and bus operators.

The aim is to establish a range of service standards, including on the frequency or timing of services and maximum fares charged for particular journeys.

Franchising will allow local authorities to award exclusive rights to run certain bus services to the most competitive bidder for a set period under certain conditions. During that period, no other operator will be able to run those services.