(1)    A local transport authority, or two or more such authorities acting jointly, may make a ticketing scheme covering the whole or any part of their area, or combined area, if they consider that the proposed scheme—

(a)    would be in the interests of the public, and

(b)    would to any extent implement the policies set out in their bus strategy.

(2)    A ticketing scheme may not be made unless the authority or authorities have complied with the notice and consultation requirements imposed by section 136.

(3)    A ticketing scheme is a scheme under which operators of local services of a class specified in it are required to make and implement arrangements under which persons may purchase, in a single transaction, a ticket (or tickets) of any of the descriptions which may be covered by a ticketing scheme and to which the scheme applies.

(4)    The descriptions of tickets which may be covered by a ticketing scheme are—

(a)    tickets entitling the holder to make more than one journey on particular local services or on local services of a class specified in the scheme (whether or not operated by the same person),

(b)    tickets entitling the holder to make a particular journey on two or more local services (whether or not operated by the same person),

(c)    where a particular journey could be made on local services provided by any of two or more operators, tickets entitling the holder to make the journey on whichever service the holder chooses, and

(d)    tickets entitling the holder to make a journey, or more than one journey, involving both travel on one or more local services and travel by one or more connecting rail or tram services.

(5)    A connecting rail or tram service, in relation to a ticketing scheme, is a service for the carriage of passengers by railway or by tramway (or by both) which runs between—

(a)    a station or stopping place at or in the vicinity of which local services stop and which serves any part of the area to which the ticketing scheme relates, and

(b)    any other place.

(6)    Different arrangements may be specified in a ticketing scheme for different cases.

(7)    In carrying out their functions under this Part in relation to ticketing schemes, local transport authorities must co-operate with one another.

(8)    In considering whether to make a ticketing scheme, a local transport authority must have regard to the desirability, in appropriate cases, of making a scheme jointly with another authority.