This event took place on Tuesday 7 October 2025
Competition law in the UK generally prevents discussions on pricing and collaboration between competitors and this applies to the bus sector as much as any other. But without such discussions, multi operator ticketing would not be possible.
This webinar is an introduction to the legal framework that allows bus operators to work together, and with other modes, to deliver multi operator and multi modal ticketing. It provides an overview of the Competition Act 1998 (Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption) Order 2001, as modified, commonly referred to as the “Block Exemption”. It explains the roles of operators and local authorities, what you can and cannot legally do, and the benefits of introducing multi operator ticketing.
Speaker
John Birtwistle
First Bus, Chair of Traveline Board
John is Head of Policy for First Bus. He leads initiatives on a variety of subjects including domestic and international policy and legislation, local authority franchising and partnerships, business opportunities, concessionary travel, vehicle technology, legal issues, ticketing schemes, autonomous vehicles, open data and passenger information and has advised on the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit in the UK and USA. John has represented First, and the UK bus industry, on a wide range of Governmental and industry committees. He currently chairs the Traveline board and the Operator Digital Initiative, and was the 2016 President of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the UK bus and coach trade association. He was President of the European Passenger Transport Operators association from 2019 to 2024.
Contact: john.birtwistle@firstbus.co.uk