The landscape of public transport in Great Britain is undergoing its most significant structural shift since the mid-1980s. As of January 2026, the transition from a deregulated commercial market to a "franchised" model—where local authorities control routes, fares, and branding—has reached a critical turning point.
Note on Northern Ireland: It is important to distinguish Great Britain from the UK as a whole in this context. Northern Ireland never adopted the 1986 deregulation model; instead, it maintains a publicly owned system under Translink, meaning the current franchising reforms do not apply there.
Legislative Framework Comparison
The following table breaks down the primary acts and the legal hurdles required to implement franchising:| Feature | London Regional Transport Act 1984 / GLA Act 1999 | Bus Services Acts 2017 & 2025 (England) | Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 | Bus Services (Wales) Act 2026 |
| Primary Authority | Transport for London (TfL) | Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) & LTAs | Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) / SPT | Welsh Government & Transport for Wales (TfW) |
| Governance | Statutory duty to provide integrated transport. | MCAs have automatic power; 2025 Act extends this to all LTAs. | Subject to approval by an Independent Panel. | National strategy with regional delivery contracts. |
| Operational Model | Route-by-route gross-cost contracts. | Area-based franchises (e.g., Bee Network). | Franchising or Municipal (LA-run) models. | "One Network" integrated national timetable. |
| Approval Gatekeeper | None; it is a statutory duty to provide the service. | None (post-2025 Act); Secretary of State consent is no longer required. | Independent Panel appointed by the Traffic Commissioner. | Centralised through Welsh Government approval. |
| Audit Requirements | Internal TfL audit of route contracts. | Mandatory independent audit of the business case. | Mandatory independent audit + Panel review. | National assessment by Transport for Wales. |
| Competition Model | Route-by-route "Competition for the Market." | Area-wide franchises (e.g., The Bee Network). | Franchising Frameworks or Municipal Ownership. | "One Network" unified national franchising. |
Bus Franchising Status in Great Britain (January 2026)
The current state of play across the UK can be summarised as follows:
Live: London and Greater Manchester (the Bee Network).
2026 Rollout: Liverpool City Region (Phase 1 commences 6 September).
2027/28 Rollout: West & South Yorkshire, West Midlands, and Cambridgeshire.
Assessing: North East (MCA assessment) and Glasgow (Strathclyde Partnership for Transport).
National Rollout: Wales (commencing in 2027).
Pilots: York and North Yorkshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Hertfordshire, Cheshire West and Chester.
Regional Implementation and Timelines
Liverpool City Region (LCR)
Following Manchester's lead, Liverpool will be the next major region to launch franchised services.
6 September 2026: Launch of Phase 1 in St Helens and Wirral.
2027: Extension to Sefton (July), followed by Liverpool and Knowsley (September).
The 2027/28 Wave
West Yorkshire: Phase 1 (Leeds/Kirklees) launch is scheduled for March 2027.
South Yorkshire: First services in Doncaster and Sheffield are set for 5 September 2027.
West Midlands: The formal "Commencement Date" is 24 October 2027. The region is currently finalising the purchase of depots and a fleet of over 1,000 buses to facilitate the transition.
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough: Initially scheduled for 2027, the rollout is now likely to be 2028 following an implementation review of the commercial model and funding.
Wales and Rural Initiatives
Wales: The Bus Services (Wales) Bill passed in December 2025, with Royal Assent expected in early 2026. The rollout begins in South West Wales in 2027, reaching Cardiff by 2029.
Cornwall: Announced on 5 January 2026, Cornwall will lead a national pilot exploring how franchising can protect "socially necessary" routes in rural and coastal communities.
Analysis of the Scottish Delay
While the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 was an early mover, implementation in the Strathclyde region has lagged due to significant legislative and financial hurdles:
The Independent Panel: Unlike the English Bus Services Act 2025, which permits Mayors to make the final decision, Scottish law requires an Independent Panel appointed by the Traffic Commissioner to approve the business case.
Regulatory Lag: Secondary legislation required to make the 2019 Act functional only reached full maturity in mid-2025, creating a multi-year gap between the Act passing and it becoming usable.
The Partnership Prerequisite: Authorities were legally obliged to explore Bus Services Improvement Partnerships (BSIPs) first. Moving to a franchise requires proving these partnerships are insufficient, a process that has stalled the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) until at least 2030.
The London Foundation: LRT and the 1984 Act
London’s modern bus network exists because the capital was "shielded" from the total deregulation that swept the rest of Great Britain in 1986. The London Regional Transport Act 1984 transferred control from the Greater London Council (GLC) to a new body, London Regional Transport (LRT). This kept the network under a regulated, tendered system, avoiding the "bus wars" and fragmentation seen in other cities.
In the early 1990s, the government pledged in its 1992 Manifesto to fully deregulate London's buses. However, by 1993, these plans were deferred due to fears of traffic chaos and the collapse of the Travelcard. Instead, the 11 London Buses Ltd (LBL) subsidiaries were privatised while remaining under LRT's strict regulatory control. This model was eventually formalised by the Greater London Authority Act 1999, creating Transport for London (TfL).
#London #Transport (LT) News (No. 424 - November 25 1993) clipping: The #UK (Conservative) Government dropped the proposal to deregulate bus services in London but went ahead with selling off the London Buses Ltd. subsidiary companies, in favour of a full bus contracting model.
— CLondoner92 (@clondoner92.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 8:48 PM
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Conclusion: The Road to 2030
The transition towards bus franchising represents a paradigm shift in British transport policy, moving from the fractured, commercial-led era of 1986 to a model of integrated public service. By reclaiming the regulatory tools first tested by London Regional Transport in 1984, local authorities are now positioned to treat buses as a "lifeline" rather than a mere market commodity.
As we look toward 2030, the success of this "Great British Bus Reform" will likely be measured by three key pillars:
Network Integration: The shift from standalone bus routes to "One Network" systems—such as the Bee Network and Wales’s unified timetable—aims to make multi-modal travel as instinctive as it is in London.
Decarbonisation: With mandates to phase out diesel sales and the widespread purchase of electric fleets in regions like the West Midlands and Manchester, franchising is becoming the primary vehicle for achieving Net Zero transport goals.
Social Equity: By ring-fencing "socially necessary" routes and simplifying fares through national and local caps, the new system aims to reconnect isolated rural and coastal communities that were often left behind under deregulation.
While the "Scottish Delay" highlights the remaining bureaucratic and financial hurdles, the momentum in England and Wales suggests that by the end of the decade, the "London standard" of frequent, reliable, and affordable bus travel may finally become the national norm.
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