Roaring through the millennium into the twenty-first century we find the Transport Act 2000 that allows for increased cooperation between local authorities and operators, something that had not been allowed previously under competition legislation. Increasingly through the 2000s local authorities and county councils are taking responsibility for funding local bus services. The vehicles in use are changing as more and more operators invest in accessible buses. By the beginning of 2008, towards the end of the period covered by this book, 58 per cent of the UK bus fleet is low-floor. Again, we see the demise of some well-known operators, the takeover of some by the big bus groups, and, on the plus side, the rise in importance of others.

Illustrated with previously unpublished images, this volume portrays the vehicles in use with independent companies through the first decade of the twenty-first century.