Question reference: S6W-11117
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 22 September 2022
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Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 October 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to prioritise resourcing local authorities to exercise their powers to create municipal bus companies under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, in light of the cost of living crisis and climate emergency.
Answer
Section 34 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is now in force, providing wider powers for local transport authorities to run their own buses. Additionally, secondary legislation to enable bus franchising and partnership options will be introduced before the end of 2023. These powers will complement and continue to build on the service improvements supported through the Bus Partnership Fund.
We recognise that not every local authority will want to run their own bus services, but the new powers enable them to determine what is best for their local areas. We will continue to work with local authorities as they explore the full range of options set out in the 2019 Act, including local authority-run bus services. Work is currently ongoing with local authorities and COSLA to determine how best to allocate funding in light of the emergency budget review.