Summary and Background Local bus services Voluntary partnership agreements
10.A number of local authorities have entered into agreements with bus operators independently of the statutory provisions contained in the TA 2000. Such voluntary agreements are used as a means of improving the quality of bus services in a particular area, but without the restrictions which are imposed by the statutory schemes. The majority are bilateral agreements between one authority and one operator. Many have been in place since before the TA 2000 provisions on quality partnership schemes were brought into force, while others have been made subsequently in preference to using the statutory route described above.