New statutory guidance on bus enhanced partnerships in England has been published by the Department for Transport (DfT). Every local transport authority (LTA) and operator that is part of such an arrangement is expected to have regard to the document.
The guidance forms part of an overarching government vision for buses in England and the delivery of that following the passing of the Bus Services Act in 2025. Already published is guidance to LTAs on how to set up a bus franchising scheme, and a bus franchising manual.
The bus enhanced partnerships guidance is the second of three documents under the vision that relate to that avenue of reform. It follows a report on the review of enhanced partnerships, while an enhanced partnerships manual will come later this spring.
Multiple areas are covered by the guidance, which acknowledges the review conclusion that while enhanced partnership is a largely effective way to improve services, some are not currently delivering, with support needed to bring those up to a consistent standard.
Core is how an enhanced partnership consists of a plan, and a scheme or schemes:
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- The plan “is a high level strategic document that should set out the overall strategy and objectives for improving bus services in a specific area”
- The scheme goes into the detail of practical measures that will be undertaken under the broader plan to deliver it. Once made, it is legally binding.
The relationship between enhanced partnership and a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) is explored. Both perform similar functions, the guidance notes. The enhanced partnership plan is a statutory document but a BSIP is not, although keeping an up-to-date BSIP is a condition of DfT bus funding in England.
Noted is how from FY2026/27, an enhanced partnership plan can act as the up-to-date BSIP for the purpose of that condition, if it meets requirements set out in BSIP and enhanced partnership guidance.
That gives scope to reduce the burden of two separate but similar documents, though LTAs may continue to have a BSIP and an enhanced partnership plan if they wish, the guidance advises. A template enhanced partnership plan will be within the manual.
The guidance devotes significant time to socially necessary local services (SNLS). Measures relating to those are set out in the Act, including one from 1 April that LTAs include a list of them in enhanced partnership plans. Authorities have until 31 March 2027 to reflect that.
“The overall purpose of this measure is to ensure that potentially detrimental changes to crucial bus services for passengers and communities are not made without proper consideration of alternative options,” the guidance underlines.
“In the simplest terms, LTAs and operators will need to identify the bus services that they consider socially necessary and include a list of them as part of their enhanced partnership plan,” it continues. How the list should be drawn up is covered in detail.
“This broadly refers to the types of services that provide access to essential goods and services, economic opportunities, and social activities. The importance, impact, and function of a service within the community should be interpreted according to individual circumstances, as not all situations are the same.”
LTAs should engage regularly with operators on SNLS viability and usage. Operators should inform the LTA of any indication that the viability of such a service within the coming 12 months will make a “substantial variation or cancellation” likely.
Under that circumstance, the parties should consider potential mitigations other than additional LTA funding. “This will facilitate the effective operation of the SNLS element of the enhanced partnership scheme,” the document says.
A list of potential mitigatory measures is given among more detail around the SNLS work. A substantial variation is one that will broadly be considered as a negative change that would permanently increase a passenger’s normal bus journey by at least one hour.
The SNLS measure “is not a mandate on LTAs to provide unfunded services,” and nor is it a process for establishing new services or reestablishing others.
Where no appropriate or affordable mitigation is possible, LTAs should document how that final decision was made and be prepared to publish such findings. Operators should wait until the process has completed before notifying the registration authority.
Other items within the bus enhanced partnerships guidance are minimum standards; ticketing and accessibility requirements; further enhanced partnership scheme content; making, varying, postponing and cancelling such an arrangement; competition considerations; structures; and accountability and enforcement.
Additional forthcoming documents from the overarching vision for bus services in England include:
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- Guidance to LTAs on setting up new municipal bus operators, due this year
- Updated BSIP guidance, expected this spring
- Guidance to LTAs on introducing and enforcing local bus service byelaws, due this year
- Guidance on training bus staff to identify, respond to and prevent crime, antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls, expected this year
- A description of bus data requirements on LTAs, set for publication in 2027.
Read the statutory guidance on bus enhanced partnerships in England here.
