Legislation – Bus Services Act 2025
Changes to legislation:
There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Bus Services Act 2025, Section 6.
Changes to Legislation
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Franchising schemes: non-franchised services
6Criteria for granting service permits
(1)
Section 123Q of the Transport Act 2000 (application for service permit) is amended in accordance with subsections (2) to (4).
(2)
“(5A)
If the application is for a service permit for a cross-boundary service, the authority or authorities may grant the permit applied for if they are satisfied that—
(a)
the benefits to persons making journeys on the proposed service will outweigh any adverse effect on any local service that is provided under a local service contract in the area to which the scheme relates, or
(b)
the benefits of the proposed service to the economy of the relevant area, or to persons living in that area, will outweigh any such adverse effect.
(5B)
If the application is for a service permit for a service that is not a cross-boundary service, the authority or authorities may grant the permit applied for if they are satisfied that the benefits of the proposed service to the economy of the area to which the scheme relates, or to persons living in that area, will outweigh any adverse effect on any local service that is provided under a local service contract in that area.”
(3)
In subsection (6), for “if they are not satisfied as to the matters in subsection (5)(a) and (b)” substitute “except under subsection (5), (5A) or (5B)”
.
(4)
“(8)
In this section—
“cross-boundary service”, in relation to a franchising scheme, means a service that—
(a)
has one or more stopping places in the area to which the scheme relates, and
(b)
has one or more stopping places outside that area;
“relevant area”, in relation to a cross-boundary service, means the combined area of each—
(a)
local transport authority,
(b)
council in Scotland, and
(c)
Transport Partnership created under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005,
in which the service has a stopping place.”
(5)
In section 123S(2) of that Act (revocation and suspension)—
(a)
in paragraph (a), for “that a matter in section 123Q(5)(a) or (b)” substitute “if the permit was granted under subsection (5) of section 123Q, that a matter in paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection”
;
(b)
“(aa)
if the permit was granted under subsection (5A) or (5B) of that section, that the authority or authorities are no longer satisfied as mentioned in the subsection in question,”.
(6)
The amendments made by this section apply only in relation to applications for a service permit made on or after the date on which this section comes into force.