Transport Act 1968

The Transport Act 1968 (1968 c.73) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The main provisions made changes to the structure of nationally owned bus companies, created passenger transport authorities and executives to take over public transport in large conurbations.

National Bus Company

The Act formed, from 1 January 1969, the National Bus Company by merging the bus operating companies of the government-owned Transport Holding Company with those of the privately-owned BET. NBC operated bus services throughout England and Wales outside of large cities, although independent operators still thrived in many rural areas.

Scottish Transport Group

The Scottish Transport Group was also formed at the beginning of 1969. It combined the state-owned Scottish Bus Group and Caledonian Steam Packet Company shipping line.

Passenger transport authorities and executives

The Act also allowed the formation of passenger transport authorities to co-ordinate and operate public transport in large conurbations. The authorities were to be made up of councilors from the various local authorities in the area, while the executives were to be the operators of public transport: for the most part taking over the existing local authority bus fleets.Following consultation the following PTAs/PTEs were established under the Act:

• West Midlands on October 1, 1969
• SELNEC on November 1, 1969
• Merseyside on December 1, 1969
• Tyneside on January 1, 1970
• Greater Glasgow on June 1, 1973 (also......
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