TfL to consult bus firms on creating a publicly owned London bus operator

Transport for London is preparing to begin consultations with the private firms that operate its 675 bus routes later this month, evaluating the feasibility of a publicly owned bus company. The proposal follows TfL’s business-plan statement to “reimagine London’s bus network” and would allow the authority to take over contracts as they expire, ending one outlet franchising system where 16 operators—including Arriva, Go-Ahead London, First Bus London and Stage Coach London—run services under seven-year agreements.

This step satisfies a commitment made by Mayor Sadiq Khan in his 2024 election manifesto and is enabled by the Bus Services Act passed by the Labour government, which lifted the prohibition on local authorities creating bus companies. Proponents argue a public operator would channel profits back into the transport system, improve reliability and safety, and give TfL greater control. Opponents such as Conservative mayoral candidate Festus Akinbusoye and Reform Assembly Member Keith Prince contend that the existing model is already successful and that a public takeover would add cost and bureaucracy.