PE2116/T: Accelerate the implementation of bus franchising powers McGill’s Bus Service written submission, 23 September 2025 I am aware that you will have a petition before you on Wednesday 24th September (PE2116) to ‘Accelerate the implementation of the bus franchising powers’ which is calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to improve the process for implementing the bus franchising powers contained in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 by: 1. introducing, without delay, the regulations and statutory guidance required to give bus franchising powers full effect 2. amending the 2019 Act to remove the requirement for proposed franchising frameworks to be approved by a panel appointed by the traffic commissioner, instead empowering Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) to have the final say on approving proposals 3. providing additional funding to help support RTPs in preparing franchising frameworks and assisting...