Prospects in Britain in the light of the Bus Services Act 2017

The aim of this paper is not to document a specific research project, but to provide an international audience with an overview of the Bus Services Act 2017 in Britain in the light of the extensive experience of deregulation and privatisation within the British bus and coach industry since the early 1980s. It provides a range of powers, mostly permissive rather than mandatory. The general emphasis of the Act displays marked shift from the previous focus on competition as a major policy aim, to one in which partnerships between operators and local transport authorities are encouraged. Procedures for franchising are simplified, in contrast to those under the 2000 and 2008 Acts, which did not result in any franchising scheme outside London being introduced. The changes relate to a number of themes examined in previous Thredbo conferences, including aspects of competition law, service tendering, data disclosure and network planning. This paper begins by examining the historical background to the Act, then discusses its main provisions. Data requirements for research to monitor the possible effects of its implementation are outlined. It is concluded that the Act has the potential to encourage greater bus use, but the extent of this is highly uncertain.