Bus Services Bill removes franchising hurdle

The Government’s Bus Services Bill appears to remove a key barrier to franchising in England, by weakening independent scrutiny of authorities’ plans. Andrew Forster reports

It’s been a long-time coming but the Bus Services Bill was finally published last week. The need for the draft legislation arose after the Chancellor included pledges of bus franchising in the first devolution deals struck with Greater Manchester in 2014 and Cornwall last summer. Franchising has since been included in the devolution agreements struck for other parts of England. As discussions of new legislation progressed, further powers have been added, resulting in the Bill running to...

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