Glossary
Auditor
A person who is eligible to be appointed as a statutory auditor under section 1211 of the Companies Act 2006.
Audit Report
Defined in section 13F(2) of the 2001 Act, the audit report is an analysis of financial implications contained in the Franchising Assessment.
BSIPs
Bus Services Improvement Partnerships defined in Chapter 1 (sections 3A-3M) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 involve local transport authorities formulating a plan (called a Partnership Plan in the Act) with the operators in their area and then deciding on how best to implement it through supporting schemes (Partnership Schemes).
CMA
Competition and Markets Authority
Concessions Contracts
A concession contract is a works or services contract which allows the contractor to exploit the works or services it provides in lieu of some or all payment from the contracting authority (i.e. a works concession contracts might be the construction of a road).
DRT
Demand Responsive Transport
LA
Local authorities: generally responsible for infrastructure, including bus stations and stops, bus lanes and other priority measures, as well as ensuring provision of passenger information.
Local Services
Defined by section 2 of the Transport Act 1985. Generally, refers to a service using one or more Public Service Vehicles for the carriage of passengers by road at separate fares.
LTA
Local Transport Authority as defined in section 82(1) of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001, as amended by the Transport Partnerships (Transfer of Functions) (Scotland) Order 2024). In Scotland LTA means: a local authority, the Shetland Transport Partnership (ZetTrans), the South-West of Scotland Transport Partnership (SWestrans), Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, also known as the West of Scotland Transport Partnership (SPT) and the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (SPTA). LTAs have a duty to secure the provision of public passenger transport services in their area.
NSG
Network Support Grant
NTS
National Transport Strategy
OBC
Outline Business Case
PSV
Defined by section 1 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981- means a motor vehicle which is either (i) a vehicle adapted to carry more than 8 passengers that is used for carrying passengers for hire or reward, or (ii) a vehicle that isn’t adapted that is used for carrying passengers for hire or reward at separate fares in the course of a business of carrying passengers.
RTPs
Regional Transport Partnerships are independent bodies defined under Part 1 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005, and regulation 3 of the Regional Transport Partnerships (Establishment, Constitution and Membership) (Scotland) Order 2005.
SMEs
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
SPFM
Scottish Public Finance Manual
SPT
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (also known as West of Scotland Transport Partnership) under section 10 of the Transfer of Functions Order 2024 has the ability to exercise certain functions related to bus services that were introduced under the 2001 Act by the 2019 Act.
Standards
The expectations set out by the local transport authority in the operation of local bus services within the franchising area.
TC
Traffic Commissioner means the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland established under section 4 of the Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981 who has a variety of statutory enforcement functions.
TUPE
Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006
Utilities Contracts
Applies when a contracting authority or public undertaking is awarding a contract for the purpose of helping it to carry out an activity, such as the provision or operation of networks for transport by railway, automated systems, tramway, trolley bus, bus, or cable.
The 2001 Act
Transport (Scotland) Act 2001
The 2019 Act
Transport (Scotland) Act 2019
The Scotland Act Order
Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 (Consequential Provisions & Modifications) Order 2023
The Information Regulations
The Bus Service Improvement Partnerships and Local Services Franchises (Provision of Information) (Scotland) Regulations 2023
The 2024 Regulations
The Local Services Franchises (Traffic Commissioner Notices and Panels) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
The 2025 Regulations
The Public Service Vehicles (Registration of Local Services) (Local Services Franchises Transitional Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2025
VfM
Value for Money