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.

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 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, Transport Directorate, 2-D 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 website.

A third option is to contact the Traffic Commissioner by writing to the Clerk to the Traffic Commissioner, Scottish Traffic Area, J Floor, Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh EH3 9SE.

Telephone: 0131 200 4927 or 0870 606 0440 (Bus Registration Enquiries)
Web: http://www.vosa.gov.uk

The Traffic Area Office is open for public business at the following times:

• Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5.00pm
• Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm.

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 £4.9million in 2007/08 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.

Read more about bus services subsidised by SPT.

SPT manages the school bus contracts for 11 of the 12 Councils that make up the SPT area (the exception being Argyll & Bute).

We ensure that Disclosure Scotland checks are made on each driver, and carry out inspections to ensure that the vehicles being used are safe and properly maintained.

SPT's customer care inspectors check that the quality of the service meets the standards agreed with the operator as part of the contract specification.

If we find that drivers are being used who aren't approved, or that there are problems with a particular vehicle, we take the matter up with the contractor and the relevant authority.

In monitoring school contracts, SPT works very closely with Strathclyde Police, the Traffic Commissioner and the Department for Transport.