A seven-point plan to boost bus service competition

The Competition Commission’s decision not to recommend bus franchising in its inquiry into Britain’s local bus market has grabbed all the headlines. But what has it recommended to alleviate the competitive deficiencies it identified? Andrew Forster reports

Having concluded in May that a lack of competition characterises many local bus markets in Britain (outside London), the Competition Commission this month published its provisional decision on remedies to encourage more competition, which it expects to deliver passenger benefits. The most eye-catching aspect of the Commission’s new report was actually the omission of bus franchising (LTT 7 Oct), which represents a U-turn from the Commission’s initial thinking in May. Bus operators...

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