Bus Services Act 2025
2025 Chapter 24An Act to make provision about local and school bus services; and for connected purposes.
Enacted
[27th October 2025]
Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Franchising schemes: general¶
I1I431 Availability of franchising schemes¶
I2I442 Specification of areas¶
In section 123H of the Transport Act 2000 (making and publication of scheme), after subsection (2) insert—I3I453 Specification of services¶
I4I464 Minimum period before provision of services¶
I5I475 References to local services¶
Franchising schemes: non-franchised services¶
I6I486 Criteria for granting service permits¶
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I77 Registration of services provided under service permits¶
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I8I498 Substitute road services¶
Franchising schemes: procedure¶
I99 Report on assessment of proposed scheme¶
I10I5010 Duty to consult persons with disabilities¶
In section 123E(4) of the Transport Act 2000 (consultation), after paragraph (d) insert—.
I11I5111 Variation of schemes¶
I12I5212 Miscellaneous amendments¶
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, and
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Franchising schemes: direct award of contracts¶
I13I5613 Direct award of contracts to incumbent operators¶
Enhanced partnership plans and schemes¶
I14I5914 Socially necessary local services¶
;
;
I15I6015 Measures specified in schemes¶
I16I6116 Passenger benefit requirement¶
In section 138C of the Transport Act 2000 (requirements in respect of local services), for subsection (9) substitute—I17I6217 Variation of schemes¶
After section 138K of the Transport Act 2000 insert—I1818 Requirements enabling travel by persons with disabilities¶
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I19I6419 Objections by operators¶
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I20I6520 Advance notice of requirement to provide information¶
In section 143B of the Transport Act 2000 (power to obtain information about local services), after subsection (4) insert—Local government functions¶
I21I6621 Bus network accessibility plans¶
In the Transport Act 2000, after section 113B insert—I22I5322 Local government bus companies¶
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“local government bus company” means a company formed by a relevant authority or authorities for the purpose of providing a local service;
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“local service” has the same meaning as in the Transport Act 1985 (see section 2 of that Act);
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“relevant authority” means—
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a county council in England,
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a district council in England,
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a combined authority established under section 103 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009,
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an Integrated Transport Authority for an integrated transport area in England;
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“subsidiary” has the same meaning as in the Companies Act 2006 (see section 1159 of that Act).
;
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I23I5423 Grants¶
In the Transport Act 2000, after section 154 insert—Information about local services¶
I2424 Information provided on registration of local services¶
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;
;
I2525 Information about local services¶
I2626 Information obtained under Statistics of Trade Act 1947¶
In the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, after section 9A insert—Enforcement¶
I2727 Powers of inspectors¶
I2828 Local transport authority byelaws¶
I2929 Transport for London byelaws¶
In the Greater London Authority Act 1999, after Chapter 8 of Part 4 insert—Safety and accessibility of stopping places¶
I3030 Safety and accessibility of stopping places¶
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“facilities” means any facilities provided—
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to assist persons with accessing a stopping place,
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for the use of passengers awaiting, boarding or alighting from a public service vehicle being used to provide a local service, or
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to assist with the positioning of a public service vehicle being used to provide a local service at a stopping place so as to enable passengers to board or alight from the vehicle;
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“local service” has the same meaning as in the Transport Act 1985 (see section 2 of that Act);
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“public service vehicle” has the same meaning as in the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 (see section 1 of that Act);
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“stopping place” has the same meaning as in the Transport Act 1985 (see section 137 of that Act).
I4231 Provision and design of floating bus stops¶
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“floating bus stop” means an area in the immediate vicinity of a stopping place for local services, which is designed—
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for use by people accessing the stopping place, and
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so as to incorporate a cycle track (within the meaning of the Highways Act 1980 (see section 329 of that Act));
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“local service” and “stopping place” have the same meanings as in the Transport Act 1985 (see sections 2 and 137 of that Act).
I31I5732 Duty to provide information to Secretary of State¶
Safeguarding for school services¶
I6733 Safeguarding duty: drivers of school services¶
In the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981, after Part 2 insert—Training of staff¶
I3234 Training about crime and anti-social behaviour¶
I3335 Training about disability¶
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I3436 Training about disability: further provisions¶
Zero-emission vehicles¶
I3537 Use of zero-emission vehicles for local services in England¶
I3638 Use of zero-emission vehicles for local services in Scotland¶
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General¶
I3739 Power to make consequential provision¶
I3840 Extent¶
I3941 Commencement and transitional provision¶
I4042 Short title¶
This Act may be cited as the Bus Services Act 2025.I41I55Schedule ¶
Procedure for varying franchising scheme
Section 11(4)
I55After Schedule 9 to the Transport Act 2000 insert—
Footnotes
- I1S. 1 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I2S. 2 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I3S. 3 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I4S. 4 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I5S. 5 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I6S. 6 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I7S. 7 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I8S. 8 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I9S. 9 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I10S. 10 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I11S. 11 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I12S. 12 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I13S. 13 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I14S. 14 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I15S. 15 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I16S. 16 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I17S. 17 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I18S. 18 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I19S. 19 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I20S. 20 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I21S. 21 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I22S. 22 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I23S. 23 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I24S. 24 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I25S. 25 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I26S. 26 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I27S. 27 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I28S. 28 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I29S. 29 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I30S. 30 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I31S. 32 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I32S. 34 in force at Royal Assent for specified purposes, see s. 41(5)
- I33S. 35 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I34S. 36 in force at Royal Assent for specified purposes, see s. 41(5)
- I35S. 37 in force at Royal Assent for specified purposes, see s. 41(5)
- I36S. 38 in force at Royal Assent for specified purposes, see s. 41(4)
- I37S. 39 in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(1)
- I38S. 40 in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(1)
- I39S. 41 in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(1)
- I40S. 42 in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(1)
- I41Sch. not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 41(5)
- I42S. 31 in force at 27.12.2025, see s. 41(2)
- I43S. 1 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(a)
- I44S. 2 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(b)
- I45S. 3 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(c)
- I46S. 4 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(d)
- I47S. 5 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(e)
- I48S. 6 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(f)
- I49S. 8 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(g)
- I50S. 10 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(h)
- I51S. 11 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(i) (with reg. 5)
- I52S. 12 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(j)
- I53S. 22 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(l)
- I54S. 23 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(m)
- I55Sch. in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(o) (with reg. 5)
- I56S. 13 in force at 26.1.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(k)
- I57S. 32 in force at 26.1.2026 for specified purposes by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 2(n)
- I58S. 18(1)-(3) in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(e)(i)
- I59S. 14 in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(a)
- I60S. 15 in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(b)
- I61S. 16 in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(c)
- I62S. 17 in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(d)
- I63S. 18(5) in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(e)(ii)
- I64S. 19 in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(f)
- I65S. 20 in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(g)
- I66S. 21 in force at 1.4.2026 by S.I. 2026/46, reg. 3(h)
- I67S. 33 in force at 27.4.2026, see s. 41(3)