We recognise the importance of audible and visible route and destination information in helping disabled people and other passengers to use bus services with confidence. On 1^st October 2024 the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 (“Accessible Information Regulations”) came into force, requiring vehicles first used on local services since October 2019 to comply. The majority of local services should be compliant by October 2026.

The most recent annual bus statistics indicate that 37.2% of buses in Great Britain incorporated audible and visible route and next stop information provision as at 31^st March 2024, but these statistics do not yet reflect the implementation of the Accessible Information Regulations.

The Government's approach to improving bus services in England, including those in rural areas, is set out in the National Bus Strategy. We have announced more than £4.5 billion of funding for buses in England outside of London since 2020,
including:

o The recently announced £1 billion of funding redirected from HS2 to deliver better buses across the North and the Midlands as part of Network North;

o Over £1 billion allocated in 2022 to help LTAs deliver their BSIPs;

o £300 million in ongoing funding to support and improve services until April 2025;

o Nearly £600 million to cap single bus fares at £2 from 1 January 2023 until the end of 2024; and

o £2 billion between March 2020 and June 2023 to prevent reductions to bus services following the pandemic.

The Bus Services Act 2017 was accompanied by a suite of regulations to provide Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) outside London with powers to improve local bus services. These included enhanced partnerships (EPs) between bus operators and LTAs, and automatic franchising powers to all Mayoral Combined Authorities. 73 LTAs now have an EP in place and Greater Manchester expect to have a fully franchised bus network by March 2025.

The Bus Services Act 2017 also focused on introducing the Bus Open Data Service (BODS). The BODS was launched in 2020, and requires all bus operators of local services in England to open up high-quality, accurate and up-to-date bus service information including timetables, fares, tickets & vehicle location information.

The Bus Services Act 2017 also amended the Equality Act 2010 to enable the Government to introduce ‘Accessible Information Regulations’ as part of its commitment to creating an inclusive transport system. These regulations were introduced in 2023, which by Autumn 2026 will require the majority of local bus and coach services to incorporate audible and visible announcements as standard.

The Department is conducting a monitoring and evaluation exercise on the impact of the National Bus Strategy. The Bus Transformation Evaluation assesses the delivery and impact of Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) introduced by the 33 LTAs that received Phase 1 BSIP funding from the Department under the National Bus Strategy. A draft interim report is expected by summer 2024. In addition, the Department is also conducting monitoring and evaluation of the Inclusive Transport Strategy 2018, which includes an assessment of the impact of accessibility requirements introduced under the Bus Services Act 2017 to provide audible and visible information on buses. The Inclusive Transport Strategy: Evaluation Baseline Report was published in January 2022 and the final report is expected to be published later this year.

Yes. We plan to use powers introduced through the Bus Services Act 2017 to make the Accessible Information Regulations, requiring the provision of audible and visible information on local bus and coach services across Great Britain.

In the 2021 National Bus Strategy, the government committed to require local bus services in Great Britain to provide onboard audible and visible information, subject to final analysis.

The provision of accessible information is monitored through the Department’s annual bus statistics survey^[1]. In March 2021, 34% of buses across Great Britain met specific criteria on the provision of audible and visible information. The statistics for 2022 are yet to be published.

We do not routinely collect statistics on the split between equipment retrofitted to vehicles and installed at the point of manufacture. We will publish the consultation response and confirm our next steps in due course.

^[1] Annual bus statistics: year ending March 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Bus Services Act 2017 does not contain any time constraints on the introduction of Enhanced Partnerships (EPs) or franchising. However, since publication of the National Bus Strategy, all local authorities in England are pursuing either an EP or developing a franchising business case.

We know that the provision of audible and visible information onboard local services can support a range of passengers to travel confidently. The 2021 National Bus Strategy included a commitment to use powers in the Bus Services Act 2017 to make Accessible Information Regulations, subject to final analysis, and we continue to work towards this goal.

We have now delivered the core components of the Bus Open Data digital service, data standards and the majority of the bus industry is compliant with the regulations. The current focus is working with non-compliant bus operators to support publication, enabling app developers and technologists to use the service.

The National Bus Strategy, published in March last year, set out the Government’s vision for delivering better bus services for passengers across England.

Since then, all local authorities in England have published a Bus Service Improvement Plan, setting out how they will improve bus services in their areas. Improvements will be delivered using the powers in the Bus Services Act 2017 – either via enhanced partnerships or bus franchising – using over a billion pounds of new Government funding.

The Government has committed £3 billion of bus investment across this Parliament, including £1.2 billion of new dedicated funding for bus transformation.

Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) that have committed to having an Enhanced Partnership (EP) must have it in place by 31 March 2022. The timing of the EP consultation process is a decision for each LTA.

The Government collects annual survey data from a sample of bus operators and based on this data, we estimate that 39% of the local bus fleet in Great Britain provided audio-visual information in 2019/20.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with bus operators and their representatives on a range of issues, including the impact of new regulations on existing accessible information provision.

As announced in the National Bus Strategy for England, subject to final analysis, we will make Accessible Information Regulations by Summer 2022, ensuring passengers can board any bus with confidence and that they will know when to alight when their destination is reached.

The Government has also pledged to provide £3.5 million of funding to support smaller bus operators to provide accessible information onboard their services, ensuring passengers benefit from it as soon as possible.

By the end of June 2021, 77 Local Transport Authorities issued a notice of their intention to prepare an Enhanced Partnership Plan and accompanying Enhanced Partnership Schemes.

The Government wants disabled people to travel easily, confidently and at no additional cost, just like everyone else. In 2018 we consulted on Accessible Information Regulations with plans to require the provision of accessible on-board information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

In the 2021 National Bus Strategy for England ‘Bus Back Better’, we announced, subject to final analysis, that we will introduce regulations by Summer 2022 requiring bus companies to provide audible and visual announcements onboard their services in Great Britain.

We have also pledged to provide £3.5 million of targeted funding to support smaller operators to provide audio and visible information, ensuring passengers benefit from it soon as possible.

The Bus Services Act 2017 prevents further local authority-owned bus companies being set up from scratch, and the National Bus Strategy commits that we will review whether that remains right.

If the review concludes it should be changed, a legislative proposal will be brought forward in due course. We will also update our existing guidance on using the Enhanced Partnership and franchising powers in the Act, to make it easier for operators and local transport authorities to focus on what they want to achieve.

We want disabled people to travel independently and with confidence. It is important to have enough information when travelling on buses for that to become the reality.

In 2018 we consulted on Accessible Information Regulations with plans to require the provision of accessible on-board information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

We continue to consider the implementation options informed by the feedback received and will publish the response in due course.

In the meantime, we are supporting smaller operators to provide audible and visual information with £2 million of targeted funding.

We want disabled people to travel independently and with confidence. It is important to have enough information when travelling on buses for that to become the reality.

In 2018 we consulted on Accessible Information Regulations with plans to require the provision of accessible on-board information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

We continue to consider the implementation options informed by the feedback received and will publish the response in due course.

In the meantime, we are supporting smaller operators to provide audible and visual information with £2 million of targeted funding.

The Bus Services Act 2017 does not permit local authorities to establish a municipal bus company as part of a bus franchising proposal.

We believe the Act offers the flexibility for local authorities and their local bus operators to reach agreement on how to deliver the best bus services that meet passengers’ needs.

In Summer 2018 the Government published a public consultation on proposals to require the provision of accessible on-board information on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

We are currently analysing responses to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.