Competition Markets Authority
The Bus Service Act 2017 and The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 have granted LTAs in England and Scotland the power to develop and implement bus franchising proposals and frameworks.
The CMA is a statutory consultee to bus franchising proposals in both England and Scotland. This advice aims to consolidate competition insights and reflections from the CMAs review of franchising proposals to date, and to assist LTAs in developing, monitoring or varying their plans and proposals over time. The purpose of the advice is to enable good policy and to ensure that LTAs are not discouraged from pursuing new and innovative policies.
The CMA has publicly responded to three combined authority franchising proposals and a franchising proposal launched by the Welsh Government:
- CMA response to West Yorkshire Combined Authority
- CMA response to Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- CMA response to Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- CMA response to Welsh Governments Bus Service White Paper
The CMA has also published LTA advice for bus enhanced partnerships.
LTAs with queries relating to this advice should contact the CMA advocacy team by email atadvocacy@cma.gov.uk.