Local bus services
The Act
11.The Act includes measures to:
create a statutory post of “senior traffic commissioner” and increase flexibility in the deployment of traffic commissioners in England and Wales;
amend provisions in the TA 2000 relating to quality partnership and quality contracts schemes;
provide a tailored competition test relating to voluntary partnership agreements and certain other agreements entered into by bus operators;
strengthen the enforcement powers of the traffic commissioners;
amend existing legislative provisions relating to the community transport sector;
enable the establishment of a statutory body to represent the interests of bus passengers or the conferral of appropriate bus-related functions on the Rail Passengers’ Council; and
amend a number of other legislative provisions that relate to local public passenger transport services.
*The traffic commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of State under section 4 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 (“the PPVA 1981”). There is currently a traffic commissioner for each traffic area in Great Britain. Each traffic commissioner has responsibilities relating to the goods vehicle and public service vehicle sectors and the registration of local bus services.