Western Highlands Line Act 2018 1

MODEL
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

Western Highlands Line Bill

SP Bill 46

(as amended at Stage 3)

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to confer duties on the Scottish Ministers in relation to public
transport in the Western Highlands; and for connected purposes.

Duty to secure provision of transport service

1 The Western Highlands Line

(1) The Scottish Ministers must provide, or secure the provision of, a service for the carriage
of members of the public between the locations specified in section 2.
(2) The Scottish Ministers may take such action as they consider to be necessary or expedient
to fulfil their duty under subsection (1) and such action may include, in particular—
(a) forming, or participating in the forming of, a body corporate;
(b) acting, or appointing a person to act, as an officer of a body corporate;
(c) obtaining, or securing the obtainment of, a PSV licence or permit;
(d) acquiring or disposing of land and other property.
(3) In this Act, a reference to “the Western Highlands Line” is a reference to a service provided
in fulfilment of the duty of the Scottish Ministers under subsection (1).

The transport service

2 Stops
The locations specified in this section are—
(a) each of—
Uig,
Portree,
Broadford,
Kyle of Lochalsh,
Ullapool, and
(b) such other locations as the Scottish Ministers see fit.
2 Western Highlands Line Act 2018

3 Timetable
A service on the Western Highlands Line must be provided—
(a) between Uig and Portree, at least five times on each weekday;
(b) between Portree and Kyle of Lochalsh, at least once on each weekday; and
(c) between Kyle of Lochalsh and Ullapool, at least five times on each weekday.

General

4 Public service vehicle operator licensing

Nothing in this Act is to be read as affecting the operation of the Public Passenger Vehicles
Act 1981 or the Transport Act 1985 or any other enactment so far as it relates to public
service vehicle operator licensing.

5 Interpretation
In this Act, “PSV licence or permit” means—
(a) a public service vehicle operator’s licence granted under Part II of the Public
Passenger Vehicles Act 1981; or
(b) a permit granted under section 19 or 22 of the Transport Act 1985 (permits in
relation to use of buses by educational and other bodies; and community bus
permits).

6 Commencement
This Act comes into force at the expiry of the period of 30 days beginning with Royal Assent.

7 Short title
The short title of this Act is the Western Highlands Line Act 2018.