Transport for London advances plans for public bus company

Transport for London (TfL) is advancing plans to establish a publicly owned bus company for the capital. Officials intend to begin discussions with existing bus operators later this month to evaluate the feasibility of bringing currently franchised services in-house.

The proposal aims to reimagine London’s bus network by improving innovation, efficiency, and accountability. Under the current system, 16 private firms—including Arriva, Go-Ahead London, First Bus London, and Stagecoach London—operate the city’s 675 bus routes through seven-year franchise contracts. If a public company is launched, TfL could transition these routes to the new operator as existing contracts expire.

This initiative fulfills a pledge from Mayor Sadiq Khan’s 2024 election manifesto. Khan has noted that a publicly owned model would allow profits to be reinvested into public transport infrastructure. The move is legally supported by the Bus Services Act passed by the Labour government, which removed previous restrictions on local authorities establishing their own bus companies.