Provision of information
Section 33 Information about bus services
57.This section enables an authority to determine in accordance with their relevant general policies (as defined in section 48(1)), how and what local bus information should be made available in their area. Before making such a determination, the authority must consult the traffic commissioner, organisations representative of local bus users and such other persons as the authority thinks fit. If it is determined that information is not being made available in an appropriate way the authority must seek to make arrangements with operators for its provision in that way. This section and sections 34 and 35 do not apply to any authority to the extent that part of their area falls within the passenger transport area of the SPTA.
Section 34 Duty of authority to make information available
58.This section provides that, if arrangements cannot be made by agreement, local transport authorities, alone or jointly, must make the bus information available, or secure that it is made available. In such a case the authority may recover reasonable costs from the operators concerned. Operators must furnish information to the authority or a third party in such circumstances, to enable the authority to meet these obligations. The traffic commissioner must be informed of any requirement to provide information imposed on operators of local services, and failure to implement such obligations may result in enforcement action by the traffic commissioner under section 111 of the 1985 Act (by virtue of consequential amendments made to that section by section 40 of the Act).
Section 35 Bus information: supplementary
59.This section provides that, in exercising their powers under sections 33 and 34, authorities must have regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and must not discriminate against operators of local services.