The bus industry in Scotland
An overview of the bus industry in Scotland, the role of SPT, and how to complain about bus services.
Who operates bus services?Contrary to what a lot of people think, SPT no longer owns or operates buses in Strathclyde.
The bus industry was de-regulated in 1986. Essentially anyone with a bus and a public service vehicle licence can set up as a bus operator. All they need to do is register the route they want to operate with the Traffic Commissioner. There are about 100 different bus operators running services within the Strathclyde area.
- Who regulates the bus industry?
There are eight Traffic Commissioners for the UK - one of whom deals with Scotland - who are appointed by the Department for Transport.
It is up to the Traffic Commissioner to deal with complaints about bus operators, their services and their drivers.
- Commercial bus services - how to complain
Commercial bus operators make their own decisions regarding where, when and how they run their services. They also set their own fares.
Complaints regarding commercial bus services should be directed in the first instance to the operator concerned.
If the complaint is not answered to your satisfaction, it may be directed to Bus Passengers' Platform (BPP). The contact details are:
Bus Passengers' Platform, Scottish Government Transport Directorate, Area 2D Dockside, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.
Telephone: 0131 244 1709 or 0131 244 5306
Email: buscomplaints@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Further details can be found on the BPP website.A third option is to contact the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland. Contact details are:
Joan Aitken, Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, Level 6, The Stamp Office, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EG.
Telephone: 0131 200 4911.
- Subsidised bus services
Although private companies run bus services in west central Scotland, SPT ensures that even the most remote village or isolated housing estate has access to public transport. We do this by contracting work out to bus operators.
We spent £6.6million in 2008/09 subsidising hundreds of socially necessary local community bus services regarded by operators as commercially unviable.
For people who have difficulty using or accessing public transport, we operate two Demand Responsive services, Dial-a-Bus and Ring'n'Ride.
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