http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2001/2/section/18/2001-07-01Transport (Scotland) Act 2001An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about transport; to make provision as respects certain bridges; to amend section 21 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970; to amend section 40 of the Road Traffic Act 1988; to amend sections 26, 28 and 63 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2025-11-292001-07-01 Part 2 Bus services Quality contract schemes Tendering for quality contracts181Subject to any regulations under subsection (1), and to subsections (2) and (5), of section 19 of this Act, a local transport authority who have made a quality contract scheme shall not enter into a quality contract otherwise than by accepting a tender invited in pursuance of this section.2An authority shall, not later than—a3 months; orbsuch other period as the Scottish Ministers may by order specify,after a scheme has been made by them, invite tenders for the provision of local services to which the scheme relates for such period and on such basis as may be specified in the invitation to tender.3The period specified in the invitation to tender shall not exceed seven years beginning with the operational date of the scheme to which the invitation relates.4An invitation to tender shall—abe issued generally, in such manner as the authority consider appropriate for bringing it to the attention of persons who may be interested; andbbe issued individually to all persons who have given to the authority, or any of the authorities, a written notice—iindicating that they wish to receive invitations to tender for the provision of local services of a description to which the invitation relates; andiispecifying the address to which such an invitation is to be directed.5It shall be sufficient for the purposes of subsection (4)(b) above if the authority send the invitation to the person giving such a notice at the address specified in the notice.6The authority may accept a tender only if it is submitted by a person who is the holder of either—aa PSV operator’s licence, not being a licence to which a condition is attached under section 26 of the 1985 Act (power of traffic commissioner to attach conditions to licences) prohibiting the holder from using vehicles under the licence to provide local services of all descriptions or of any description to which the invitation relates; orba community bus permit.7The Scottish Ministers may by regulations make provision requiring local transport authorities to publish such information as may be prescribed in relation to—atenders submitted to them in accordance with this section; orbtheir reasons for entering into particular quality contracts.