London bus transport reform and public ownership

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has voiced support for reforming bus transport across England by adopting the ‘London model’. This proposed approach includes capping ticket prices, expanding free travel rights for people with disabilities, and returning certain bus networks to public control. Khan highlighted London’s existing successes, such as the Hopper fare and the Superloop express network, as well as the city’s large fleet of zero-emission buses.

Following these policy goals, Transport for London (TfL) is advancing plans to establish a publicly owned bus company for the capital. TfL intends to hold discussions with current private operators to evaluate the feasibility of bringing franchised services in-house. Under the current system, 16 private firms operate London’s 675 bus routes via seven-year contracts. If the new public company is launched, TfL could transition routes to the new operator as existing contracts expire. This initiative follows a pledge from Khan’s 2024 election manifesto and is supported by the Bus Services Act, which removed previous legal restrictions on local authorities establishing their own bus companies.