Following a recent round of mayoral elections, we update on plans for bus franchising or otherwise in each of the authorities
Bus services were frequently at the forefront of political discussions this spring when more mayoral combined authorities were created in England and some of the others elected new mayors. It is no surprise, given that buses are one of the key responsibilities of this role.
Five of the 13 mayoral authorities — including mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) and combined county authorities — have already committed to following Greater Manchester down the bus franchising route, while others have a more open approach to making improvements.
The Welsh Government and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport are also set to take Wales and the Glasgow region respectively into franchising. London buses were never deregulated following privatisation, while Northern Ireland’s operations are publicly owned rather than run under franchise.
Each region has its own set of circumstances, although the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) stressed to us that the most appropriate model of bus regulation is not dependent on the area’s demographics.
The political leaning of the mayor is obviously a key driver. However, proving that is not the only factor, Labour’s Claire Ward prefers an Enhanced Partnership approach, whereas Reform’s Luke Campbell has spoken of emulating the Bee Network.
Combined authorities have more than two options available – it is not all about franchising or commercial. Increasingly, leaders are being urged to consider a mix of models.
The Department for Transport is planning to explore various approaches for rural bus franchising via pilot schemes; mayoral authorities are likely to take learnings from these too.
Alison Edwards, CPT Director of Policy and External Relations, says: “CPT and its members share the same goals as local authorities – to deliver frequent, reliable, affordable buses to the public. And we recognise that can be achieved through a range of different regulatory models.
“It is in everybody’s interests, though, that these important decisions are made with as much information at people’s fingertips as possible.
“That’s why CPT has asked an independent consultancy, Frontier Economics, to develop a toolkit for assessing the pros and cons of different forms of bus regulation.”
As our round-up of England mayoral authorities’ plans shows, franchising is popular but not the only method being considered.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Franchising was confirmed in February to proceed (starting late 2027), fulfilling then Labour Mayor Dr Nik Johnson’s aspirations.
After he chose not to stand for re-election, Conservative Paul Bristow came to office with pro-motorist promises, although he has pledged to see through the reregulation process. According to his manifesto, his plans for buses are focused on “routes and convenience” and boosting rural services.
He also wants to scrap the previous mayor’s bus zero-emission target, “establish an independent review of the franchising business case and operating model” for franchising and create a permanent reduced-fare travel scheme for the young.
East Midlands
Labour Mayor Claire Ward favours an Enhanced Partnership rather than franchise approach in the short term.
With the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) in the process of taking over responsibility for buses from the local councils, she told EMCCA Transport and Digital Connectivity Committee in January: “I have asked for an assessment to be carried out of the whole network so that I have a full understanding of where problems exist and how these might be resolved…
“I should say that a full examination of franchising is not part of this, as my strong preference is to work in close partnership with our existing bus operators to maximise what can be achieved in the short term.”
Greater Lincolnshire
Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, was elected in May on a manifesto that promised, among other things, “Better Buses — More frequent and affordable services, especially in rural areas”.
The Reform UK representative, although saying that details will be forthcoming over the next few months, tells routeone: “With my Transport for Greater Lincolnshire Board, we will put together a plan so that residents can travel around the county more easily.
“Too often bus services in our rural areas are seen as a last resort. I want to improve this, by increasing the frequency of services, simplifying and integrating ticketing, and making sure residents have a more positive experience at bus stops and transport stations.”
She has also spoken of her desire to create a body responsible for bus services over the whole county.
Greater Manchester
With Greater Manchester being the first CMA to take up the franchising route, the resulting Bee Network was launched in September 2023 and was completed in January 2025.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) boasts of a 5% rise in bus patronage in 2024 versus 2023.
It also claims that fares revenue is above forecast and that the cost of running franchised services is “reduced by a third (compared to having to intervene in the private deregulated bus market)”.
However, criticisms surround the cost to the taxpayer, both ongoing and for the initial outlay.
Hull and East Yorkshire
New Reform UK Mayor Luke Campbell talked during his campaign of making “fix the buses” one of his top three priorities.
Talking up what Greater Manchester had achieved, he says: “I think it’s time for us to take back control now. Control the fares, control the bus routes and the quality of service.”
Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will become the local transport authority and, after his election, his office told routeone: “We will receive a proportion of the approximately £13.5 billion overall Network North funding, including £770m allocated for Bus Service Improvement Plans for the North.
“The Mayor will be making the case for significant funding for the area, particularly given its size — around 1000 square miles.”
Liverpool City Region
Franchising in Liverpool was given the go-ahead in October 2023.
It is due to start in St Helens in 2026 and set to be completed by the end of 2027 — a year ahead of the original schedule.
Mayor Steve Rotheram has designated £119 million for buses, depots, and infrastructure, and has promised enhancements to services and routes “from day one”.
Declaring the authority will do more than simply paint the buses the same colour, he insists the city will have a fully integrated public transport system. He has aspired to replicate the frequency of London’s public transport services, which he credits to franchising.
North East
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness was elected in May 2024 on the promise of bringing buses back to public control.
The North East Combined Authority recommended a franchise assessment in July 2024 but admitted it could take 30 months to complete, with four to five years in total likely needed before any franchised network was in place.
She tells routeone. “We began this work on my first day in office but the legal and regulatory process takes a long time, something which passengers I speak to find really frustrating as they want to see an integrated network and fares.
“The team are working on the Franchise Scheme Assessment (FSA) now and I want to see a major public consultation next year as we take this forward.”
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire became the fifth region to commit to bus franchising when Mayor Oliver Coppard announced the decision on 5 March.
Delivery is expected between September 2027 and July 2029.
I want us to build a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire and we need a public transport system that allows people to get to where they want to go, when they want to go there
The Mayor, who promised a franchised system when he took over in 2022, says: “Over the last 40 years we’ve seen public transport taken apart; fares go up, routes and passenger numbers go down, and our city centres, our high streets and our economy flatline.
“I want us to build a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire and we need a public transport system that allows people to get to where they want to go, when they want to go there.”
Tees Valley
Tees Valley appears one of the least likely to pursue bus franchising.
Mayor Ben Houchen says: “Franchising buses would mean years of costly bureaucracy, handing hundreds of millions to companies like Arriva and Stagecoach, and a significant tax increase on local people – something I’ve promised never to do…
“Other areas have transport systems covering a much bigger area than in our region, which generates a significantly higher revenue. Ours is smaller and the market is smaller.
“Instead of gambling taxpayers’ money on a vague, unworkable idea, we’re delivering real improvements now: £1 fares for young people, rolling out electric buses and targeted funding for new services where it’s needed most.”
West Midlands
West Midlands is the most recent mayoral authority to confirm it is taking the franchising route.
It was announced in May that the first tranche of franchised Transport for West Midlands services were scheduled to run from late 2027, with completion of the whole network due by the end of 2029.
Speaking of the decision, Mayor Richard Parker says: “I promised to take back control of our buses – and today’s decision shows that we are delivering on that promise.
“The work is now under way, and over the next two years we will create a bus network that puts passengers first – reliable, affordable, and run in the interests of the people that use [it].”
West of England
Labour’s Helen Godwin was elected as Mayor in May, saying she would “increase public control”, with a particular emphasis on a “one-ticket, one-timetable” approach across all operators.
West of England Combined Authority is in the final stages of a feasibility study looking at options for bus reform, including franchising.
We hope to deliver some quick wins for bus passengers in the West Country while studies on bus reform continue
The Mayor tells routeone she is “determined to deliver real change on transport, working collaboratively with our local councils and bus operators”.
She adds: “Learning from what other regions have already achieved is also important. In the meantime, we hope to deliver some quick wins for bus passengers in the West Country while studies on bus reform continue.”
West Yorkshire
Franchising got the go-ahead in West Yorkshire in March 2024. The recently publicised Weaver Network branding will be rolled out before the launch of the first tranche of franchising, set for Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield in March 2027.
Tender opportunities are expected to be launched between August and October. Nine “baskets” of contracts — varied by size and complexity — are set to be awarded in three rounds from Q4 2025 to Q8 2027. Initial set-up costs are expected to be £20 million.
York and North Yorkshire
Labour Mayor David Skaith favours franchising and intends to put that out to public consultation as an option in early 2026.
However, he concedes the process will take many years and has stressed plans to make improvements to services in the meantime.
The Mayor says: “Working with commercial operators, we’re looking at how existing Enhanced Partnerships can deliver improvements for passengers and developing an action plan to be delivered from the summer onwards.
“We’re also working with the Department for Transport and the Bus Centre of Excellence to explore options to deliver further improvements to bus services in the York and North Yorkshire area, which will include exploring the case for bus franchising.”
