Whether it will emulate the bus franchising process in England by permitting local transport authorities to make the final decision on fran…

The Scottish Government notes the UK Government’s plans in the King’s Speech to remove barriers that currently limit bus franchising powers in England only to metro mayors. We will review the new UK Government’s proposals in relation to franchising in England when the Better Buses Bill is published.
In Scotland, all local transport authorities have the powers to commence the franchising process. The Scottish model includes an independent panel to consider proposed franchising frameworks, which was approved by the Scottish Parliament as part of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. To ensure transparency, the panel will consider whether the local transport authority adhered to the franchising process, had regard to the statutory guidance which will be issued by the Scottish Ministers, given appropriate weight to matters prescribed by Scottish Ministers, and reached a reasonable conclusion in deciding to make their proposed franchising framework.