The Government has announced a series of reforms to improve the system of local bus subsidy and regulation in England. These are set out in the paper ‘Green Light for Better Buses’.

• Green Light for Better Buses

• Press release: Major package of reforms to increase passenger numbers, 26 March
• Bus policy, regulation and funding – written statement by Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, 26 March

Our vision is for a ‘better bus’ with more of the attributes that we know passengers want: more punctual, inter-connected services, an even greener and more fully wheelchair and buggy-accessible fleet and the widespread availability of smart ticketing. The proposals have been carefully formulated to attract more people onto buses, to ensure better value for the taxpayer and to give local transport authorities more influence over their local bus networks.

The Government has also responded to the recommendations in the Competition Commission’s report into the supply of local bus services in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland and London).

• Response on BIS website

We have committed to regulatory changes that will remove the barriers facing bus companies that attempt to engage in competition on new bus routes and in new bus markets.

Better bus areas

The Better Bus Areas fund is aimed at local authorities working in partnership with local bus operators. The aim of the fund is to increase bus patronage in busy urban areas, and the Department’s aims of creating growth and cutting carbon. 24 local transport authorities have been awarded just under £70m.

The successful bidders demonstrated that their proposals for encouraging people onto buses – including bus priority measures, better ticketing and infrastructure improvements – offer good value for money and will help create growth and cut carbon.

• Better bus areas fund

Green bus fund

The Green Bus Fund is a fund, which supports bus companies and local authorities in England to help them buy new low carbon buses. We have announced a further £31 million to help bus operators and local authorities to buy 439 low carbon buses, bringing down fuel emission levels to encourage operators and local councils to make the switch to hybrid-electric, fully electric or gas buses. Further information about the Green Bus Fund can be located in the left hand navigation.

Partnership and quality contract guidance

The Department has issued statutory guidance for local transport authorities and metropolitan district councils in England considering quality partnerships or quality contracts. Under the Local Transport Act 2008, they are obliged to have regard to this guidance when exercising their functions relating to quality partnership or quality contract schemes.

• Quality contracts schemes: statutory guidance
• Quality partnership schemes: statutory guidance to English local authorities and metropolitan district councils

We have also issued guidance, which will help operators and local authorities that are considering entering into voluntary bus partnerships.

• Improving local bus services: guidance on voluntary partnership agreements

There is separate guidance for local authorities and operators who wish to create a punctuality partnership. This sets out why punctuality and reliability are important and explains how a partnership approach can help to deliver high standards of punctuality. It includes good practice examples, a model data sharing agreement and a model for partnership working.

• Bus punctuality partnerships: guidance for local authorities and operators

Soft factors

The Department has published research into the value that bus and car users place on bus soft factors, such as real time information and security (CCTV), and the impact on demand that would be expected if such measures were introduced.

• Role of soft factors in patronage growth and modal split in the bus market in England