OpenLegislation

The Bus Services Act 2025 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provision) (England) Regulations 2026

S.I. 2026/1136 · Made 26 October 2026

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT, ENGLAND

Made 26th October 2026

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 41(5)(b) and (7) of the Bus Services Act 2025f1.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2025 c. 24.

Contents

  1. 1Citation, extent, application and interpretation
  2. 2Provisions coming into force on 29th October 2026
  3. 3Transitional provision
  4. Signature
  5. Explanatory note

1Citation, extent, application and interpretation

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Bus Services Act 2025 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provision) (England) Regulations 2026.

(2)

These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

(3)

These Regulations apply in relation to England only.

(4)

In these Regulations—

  • “the 2000 Act” means the Transport Act 2000f1;

  • “the 2025 Act” means the Bus Services Act 2025.

2Provisions coming into force on 29th October 2026

The following provisions of the 2025 Act come into force on 29th October 2026—

(a)

section 9 (report on assessment of proposed scheme);

(b)

section 37 (use of zero-emission vehicles for local services in England).

3Transitional provision

(1)

Paragraph (2) applies where a franchising authorityf1 obtains a report on the assessment of a proposed franchising schemef2 under section 123D of the 2000 Act during the period—

(a)

beginning on 29th October 2026, and

(b)

ending at 11.59 p.m. on the day before the first regulations to be made by the Secretary of State under section 123D(8) of the 2000 Act come into force.

(2)

Where this paragraph applies, a franchising authority—

(a)

must not follow the requirements for obtaining a report on the assessment of a proposed franchising scheme under section 123D of the 2000 Act as amended by section 9 of the 2025 Act, but

(b)

must follow the requirements for obtaining a report on the assessment of a proposed franchising scheme under section 123D of the 2000 Act as if section 9 of the 2025 Act had not been brought into force.

Signature

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Simon Lightwood

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Department for Transport

26th October 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations bring into force specified provisions of the Bus Services Act 2025 (c. 24) (“the 2025 Act”). These are the third commencement Regulations made under the 2025 Act.

Regulation 2 of these Regulations brings sections 9 and 37 of the 2025 Act into force on 29th October 2026.

Section 9 of the 2025 Act makes provision in respect of reports on the assessment of proposed bus franchising schemes. It amends section 123D of the Transport Act 2000 (c. 38) (“the 2000 Act”) to expand the types of professionals who can conduct an independent report on franchising scheme assessments from auditors to “approved persons”. Section 9 of the 2025 Act amends section 123D(8) of the 2000 Act to provide that “approved persons” are persons specified, or of a description specified, in regulations to be made by the Secretary of State under section 123D(8).

Regulation 3 of these Regulations makes transitional provision for the assessment of proposed bus franchising schemes following the coming into force of section 9 of the 2025 Act. Where a report on the assessment of a proposed franchising scheme is being obtained under section 123D, the 2000 Act will continue to have effect as if it had not been amended by section 9 of the 2025 Act. This arrangement only applies from 29th October 2026 until the date on which the first regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 123D (8) of the 2000 Act come into force. This is to allow time for the Secretary of State to make regulations specifying “approved persons” to report on assessments of proposed bus franchising schemes under section 123D(8).

Section 37 of the 2025 Act makes provision in respect of the use of non-zero emission vehicles on registered local bus services in England. It inserts a new section 151A into the 2000 Act to prevent the use of new non-zero-emission vehicles on registered local bus services in England on or after a date to be specified by the Secretary of State in regulations.

A full impact assessment has been published in relation to the 2025 Act and copies can be obtained at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/en/ukpga/2025/24/resources or from the Department for Transport at Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR, United Kingdom.