Consultation outcome

Updated guidance for the Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption Summary 

From:
Competition and Markets Authority
Published
19 August 2025
Last updated
9 January 2026 — See all updates
This consultation has concluded

Detail of outcome

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its final guidance on public transport ticketing schemes block exemption (CMA53).

The CMA sought views on its updated guidance for the Public Transport Ticketing Scheme Block Exemption (PTTSBE).

Stakeholders were broadly supportive of the CMA’s updated guidance.

Having carefully considered the responses that were received, the CMA has introduced further clarifications to the updated guidance to address the circumstances in which ticketing schemes excluding third-party retailers may raise competition issues and when it may be appropriate for parties to self-assess their scheme. 

The CMA recognises that each scenario will be dependent on its own factual circumstances and is therefore only able to provide high-level guidance on this matter.

Feedback received

Association of Local Bus Managers (ALBUM)

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First Bus

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National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NSTAB)

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Trainline

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Original consultation

Summary

The CMA is consulting on updated guidance for the Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption.

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

The block exemption automatically exempts certain types of transport ticketing schemes from Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998.  

The updated guidance is intended to replace the CMA’s Guidance on the public transport ticketing schemes block exemption (CMA53) published in 2016.

For more details and how to respond go to our dedicated consultation page.

Updates to this page

Published 19 August 2025
Last updated 9 January 2026 show all updates

  1. Consultation outcome, updated guidance and feedback received published.

  2. First published.

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