Elected mayors to receive power over buses, new Bill confirms

The Bus Services Bill, which was included the Queen’s Speech, will limit franchise powers to elected mayors.

The announcement directed that legislation will be introduced to facilitate the use of autonomous and electrical vehicles, in addition to other measures to improve infrastructure and the digital economy.

In Prime Minister David Cameron’s introduction to the document setting out details of forthcoming government legislation, he said: “To back business, we will make sure Britain has first-class infrastructure, especially when it comes to the transport of the future.”

The government has also confirmed that a separate Modern Transport Bill ‘will put Britain at the forefront of the modern transport revolution, so that we create new jobs and fuel economic growth around the country’.

The Bill will also include: legislation to enable the future development of the UK’s first commercial spaceports; new laws to make the UK ready to pioneer driverless cars; and new rules to bring safe commercial and personal drone flight for households and businesses a step closer.

In the speech, the Queen said ministers ‘will ensure the United Kingdom is at the forefront of technology for new forms of transport, including autonomous and electric vehicles’.