Introduction
The aim of this guide is to provide information and advice on bus policy and its implementation. It is provided primarily for local authorities, regional transport partnerships ( RTPs) and bus operating companies; however, it will also be of interest to other practitioners working within the field of transport. It is published following detailed analysis by a range of stakeholders from local authorities, regional transport partnerships, the bus industry itself, and its regulatory authorities, of the main issues impacting on the delivery of quality bus services in Scotland today.
The guidance was developed within the context of the Scottish Government's published purpose: that is to focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. The Scottish Government's five Strategic Objectives are to:
- enable businesses and people to increase their wealth and more people to share fairly in that wealth;
- help people to sustain and improve their health, especially in disadvantaged communities, ensuring better, local and faster access to health care;
- help local communities to flourish, becoming stronger, safer place to live, offering improved opportunities and a better quality of life;
- expand opportunities for Scots to succeed from nurture through to life long learning ensuring higher and more widely shared achievements; and
- improve Scotland's natural and built environment and the sustainable use and enjoyment of it.
The delivery of improved bus services in Scotland, through a commitment to partnership working between local government and bus operators, will play a significant role in the achievement of these objectives. The principle of partnership between central and local government as defined by the new Concordat between the Scottish Government and COSLA is key to the New Performance Framework.
The guidance should also be viewed as one of the key outputs in implementing the actions in Moving into the Future: An Action Plan for Buses in Scotland published in December 2006. It should also be seen within the broader context of Scotland's National Transport Strategy and the three transport specific outcomes which the strategy aims to achieve:
- improve journey times and connections, to tackle congestion and the lack of integration and connections in transport;
- reduce emissions, to tackle the issues of climate change, air quality and health improvement.
- improve quality, accessibility and affordability, to give people a choice of public transport, where availability means better quality transport services and value for money or an alternative to the car; and
Mention needs to be made in this introduction of the local government definitions adopted within the guidance. Different areas of responsibility for bus policies fall to different authorities; in some cases to local authorities, in others to regional transport partnerships and, occasionally, to both. There are also different types of regional transport partnerships holding differing powers and responsibilities. For simplicity, the guidance uses the term 'public transport authority' to refer to the relevant authority with responsibility for the transport issue being discussed.
This is the first of a short series of guidance publications to be issued with the aim of improving Scotland's bus services. The content of future guidance will include important improvement measures such as Quality Partnerships and Punctuality Improvement Partnerships.