Transport Act 2000

• (ii) any other relevant local authority any part of whose area would, in the opinion of the authority or authorities, be affected by the proposed variation,

• (iii) such organisations appearing to the authority or authorities to be representative of users of local services as they think fit, and

• (iv) the Passengers’ Council,

• (b) in the case of a variation mentioned in paragraph 12(b)(iv) or (v), the Competition and Markets Authority,

• (c) in the case of a variation mentioned in paragraph 12(b)(v), a traffic commissioner, and

• (d) in the case of any variation mentioned in paragraph 12(b)—

• (i) persons operating local services who would, in the opinion of the authority or authorities, be affected by the proposed variation,

• (ii) such persons with disabilities (within the meaning given by section 6 of the Equality Act 2010) who are users or prospective users of local services, or such organisations appearing to the authority or authorities to be representative of such persons, as they think fit, and

• (iii) any other persons whom, in the opinion of the authority or authorities, it would be appropriate to consult.

• (2) In sub-paragraph (1)(a)(ii), “relevant local authority” means—

• (a) a local transport authority,

• (b) a district council,

• (c) a National Park authority,

• (d) the Broads Authority,

• (e) a London transport authority,

• (f) a Transport Partnership created under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005, or

• (g) a council in Scotland.

14

• (1) A franchising authority or authorities that conduct a consultation under paragraph 13 must publish a report setting out—

• (a) the authority’s or authorities’ response to the consultation;

• (b) the authority’s or authorities’ decision on whether to vary the scheme.

• (2) If the decision is to vary the franchising scheme, the report must be published at the same time as the notice of the decision is published under section 123M(2)(a).

• (3) The authority or authorities must give notice of the report to a traffic commissioner.

• (4) If a franchising authority are a mayoral combined authority, the function of deciding whether to vary the franchising scheme is a function of the combined authority exercisable only by the mayor acting on behalf of the combined authority (including in a case where the decision is to vary a scheme jointly with one or more other franchising authorities).

• (5) If a franchising authority are a mayoral CCA, the function of deciding whether to vary the franchising scheme is a function of the combined county authority exercisable only by the mayor acting on behalf of the combined county authority (including in a case where the decision is to vary a scheme jointly with one or more other franchising authorities).

Bus network accessibility plans: England

113BA

• (1) A local transport authority whose area is in England must, before the end of the period of one year beginning with the day on which this section comes into force, publish a bus network accessibility plan in relation to the authority’s area.

• (2) A bus network accessibility plan must—

• (a) identify what (if any) provision is made to assist persons with disabilities to travel on local services that have one or more stopping places in the authority’s area;

• (b) set out the extent to which, in the authority’s opinion, the provision made in the authority’s area enables persons with disabilities to travel on such local services independently, and in safety and reasonable comfort;

• (c) describe what (if any) further action the authority intends to take to enable persons with disabilities to travel on such local services independently, and in safety and reasonable comfort.

• (3) The authority must review the plan—

• (a) if there is a substantial change to the provision of local services in the authority’s area, and

• (b) in any event, at least once every three years.

• (4) The authority must alter the plan—

• (a) following any review carried out as required by subsection (3)(a), or

• (b) if the authority considers it appropriate to do so for any other reason.

• (5) The authority may replace the plan as they think fit.

• (6) In preparing and reviewing a bus network accessibility plan, a local transport authority must consult—

• (a) persons operating local services in the authority’s area,

• (b) such persons with disabilities who are users or prospective users of local services, or such organisations appearing to the authority to represent such persons, as they think fit, and

• (c) any other persons whom the authority considers it appropriate to consult.

• (7) In this section “persons with disabilities” means persons who have a disability within the meaning given by section 6 of the Equality Act 2010.

138CA

• (1) An enhanced partnership scheme may specify under section 138A(5)(b) requirements about enabling persons with disabilities to travel on local services independently, and in safety and reasonable comfort.

• (2) The requirements may include requirements about securing alternative means for the carriage of a person with a disability where—

• (a) the person cannot travel on a public service vehicle being used to provide a local service because the vehicle’s wheelchair space is occupied and cannot be vacated readily, and

• (b) it is possible for the person, together with any wheelchair, mobility aid or assistance dog which the person has with them, to be carried in safety and reasonable comfort to the person’s intended destination by a taxi or private hire vehicle.

• (3) Before making an enhanced partnership scheme, a local transport authority must consider whether the requirements proposed to be specified in the scheme will enable persons with disabilities to travel independently, and in safety and reasonable comfort, on local services that have one or more stopping places in the area to which the scheme relates.

• (4) In this section—

• “assistance dog” has the meaning given by section 173(1) of the Equality Act 2010;

• “mobility aid” has the meaning given by section 164A(6) of that Act;

• “persons with disabilities” means persons who have a disability within the meaning given by section 6 of that Act.

138KA

• (1) A variation of an enhanced partnership scheme may not be made under section 138K in a case to which subsection (2) of this section applies unless—

• (a) the Secretary of State has directed the authority or authorities concerned to make the variation, or

• (b) the variation is one that the authority or authorities are required to make by section 14(4)(b) of the Bus Services Act 2025.

• (2) This subsection applies to any case specified in the scheme as one in which the scheme may be varied in accordance with the scheme (see section 138E).

• (3) The Secretary of State may give a direction under this section only if, on an application made by the authority or authorities, the Secretary of State is satisfied that—

• (a) the variation cannot be made in accordance with the scheme because of unreasonable or obstructive behaviour by one or more operators of local services, or

• (b) persons using local services in the area to which the scheme as varied will relate will benefit from the variation of the scheme.

• (4) A direction under this section does not affect the application of the other requirements that must be met before the scheme can be varied under section 138K.