Buses, taxis and light rail: FAQs for 2020

This paper has been written specifically for Members of Parliament and their staff, though others may find it of general interest.

It is a compilation of regularly asked questions about local public transport issues, particularly buses and taxis. There is no intended link between articles other than that the topics are often the subject of requests by Members, usually on behalf of their constituents.

Please note that as local transport policy is devolved across the UK this paper largely discusses England only. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland policy is the responsibility of the devolved administrations and scrutiny the responsibility of the respective parliaments and assemblies.

It covers the following issues:

• Who is responsible for policy on local public transport and what impact Brexit will have on this area;
• Buses, including what a local service is, who runs, regulates and pays for them; standards, behaviour and where the council can put a bus stop;
• Buses funding, fares and concessions, including what funding is available and where it comes from, the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), grants for greener vehicles and the concessionary bus pass;
• Bus and coach accessibility including new audio-visual equipment requirements;
• Community transport;
• Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs), including what they are, how they are regulated and how they can operate, accessibility requirements and grants for green taxis; and
• Light rail, trams & subways.

Further details on these issues and more can be found in a suite of Commons Library briefing papers, available on our website.