The purpose of the
Local Transport Bill is to improve public transport, reduce congestion and promote the economic vitality of the UK's towns and cities. The Bill gives Local Authorities (LA) greater freedom and choice – with increased flexibility and powers to deliver a tailored transport system better suited to local needs.
Much of the Bill relates to buses which represent the backbone of any local transport network, with almost 5 billion journeys a year across the UK made by bus. Key measures in the Bill include:
More power to Local Authorities - The Bill will give LAs a range of tools for improving bus services in their areas through voluntary partnerships, quality partnership schemes, and quality contracts schemes.
Bus Passenger Champion - An influential new bus passenger champion will be created to represent the interests of bus passengers.
Quality Partnerships - These schemes allow the LA to deliver new investment – for example, dedicated bus lanes – in return for an operator’s agreement to improve the service. The Bill will also allow LAs to specify with an operator frequencies, timings and maximum fares as part of the scheme – things that really matter to passengers.