Free to fix own fares
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MOST major Scottish operators are likely to be free to fix their own fares levels by early next year.
Grampian Region is leading Tayside and Greater Glasgow PTE in seeking Traffic Commissioners' approval for the decontrol of their fares scales. Scottish Bus Group is expected to follow, while Lothian fares have stayed at their present level for four years.
Under the 1980 Transport Act, the Traffic Commissioners can only insist on controlling fares where a monopoly exists or where a co-ordinated service pattern would be disturbed by partners charging different fares.
It seems likely that SBG will want to devolve fares setting responsibility to the member companies, especially as the results of the ScotMAP market analysis surveys lead to revisions in services.