The Department for Transport through the Bus Services Act 2017 requires requires bus operators and/or local transport authorities to openly publish information about bus routes and timetables, stopping places, fares and tickets, location information and more broadly the operation of bus services.

In July 2020 the statutory instrument to enable the DfT to mandate the provision of data was made:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/749/contents/made

RTIG have produced a quick guide to the dates and data formats required in the SI:

https://www.rtig.org.uk/system/files/documents/RTIGT040-2.0%20BODS%20SI%20Dates%20and%20Formats.pdf 

The DfT have produced an implementation guide to support the statutory instrument:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bus-open-data-implementation-guide/bus-open-data-implementation-guide

 

Routes and Timetables

These need to be published in TransXChange format.

Version 1.1.A is the latest version of the profile documentation is here:

https://pti.org.uk/system/files/files/TransXChange_UK_PTI_Profile_v1.1.A.pdf

and can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

An application note on versioning for the Bus Open Data Service is available:

https://pti.org.uk/system/files/files/TransXChange%20UK%20PTI%20Profile%20-%20Versioning%20Application%20Note%20v1.0.pdf

Local Transport Authorities can take on the local bus service registration function from the traffic commissioner as part of an Enhanced Partnership under powers in the Bus Services Act 2017. LTA and operators where the registration function is being carried out by an LTA need to understand the impact on the BODS requirements to supply timetable data. Guidance is available here:

https://www.pti.org.uk/system/files/files/TransXChange%20UK%20PTI%20Profile%20-%20Service%20Codes%20in%20Enhanced%20Partnerships%20Application%20Note%20v1.0.pdf

 

Earlier versions of the profile can be found on the profile archive page.

The schema documentation for TransXChange can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transxchange-downloads-and-schema

The summary PowerPoint for the v1.1 which addressed the design principles of the profile is here (refer to the profile document for the full detail of the current v1.1.A release) :

TransXChange: Public Transport Information Profile 

 

Fares

Fares data is published in NeTEx format.

The details of this including profile documentation is available:

http://netex.uk/farexchange/downloads.htm

The schema is available on GITHub:

https://github.com/NeTEx-CEN/NeTEx

The formal NeTEx documentation is CEN copyright and available in the UK from BSI as PD CEN/TS 16614

 

Location Data

This will need to be published in SIRI VM format.

The profile that bus operators must use when publishing location data via the Bus Open Data Service under the SIRI-VM standard is available online:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-guidance-publishing-location-data-using-the-bus-open-data-service-siri-vm 

The Department for Transport has developed a SIRI VM profile to support BODS.
The aim of this profile is to specify a consistent use of elements and a consistent way of using SIRI VM that will be used within BODS and which will lead to a higher quality data set and, at the same time, lower the barriers to entry by users new to SIRI.

Following a period of review at the end of 2021 v1 of the document was published.

An update to the - v1.1 was published in July 2022:

https://pti.org.uk/system/files/files/SIRI_VM_PTI_Data_Matching_v1-1.pdf

or can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

A track changes version from v1.0 is available if you want to review the changes in detail.

The background material is available from the RTIG website.

https://www.rtig.org.uk/bods/SIRI_VM_Data_Matching

The SIRI schema is available on GITHub:

https://github.com/SIRI-CEN/SIRI

The formal SIRI documentation is CEN copyright and available in the UK from BSI as BS EN 15531