US EditionBus Services to Return to Public Control in Wales Following Senedd Success
The Bus Services (Wales) Bill ends deregulation to improve affordability, reliability, and integration with expected benefits of £3.6 billion over 30 years, officials said.
- Senedd members approved major changes under the Bus Services Bill, launching a phased rollout in south-west Wales in 2027 over about five years.
- Under the current deregulated system, private bus operators often cut socially necessary routes, prompting ministers and the Welsh Government to seek a reliable, affordable network for passengers and communities.
- Under the Bill the franchising model overhauls local bus planning, shifting control to the public sector, with Transport for Wales managing it for the Welsh Government.
- Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, welcomed the Bill as a historic day, saying it will put people first with reliable, affordable services and create one network, one timetable, one ticket.
- The move reverses decades of deregulation as an impact assessment estimates costs over 30 years with benefits returning £5 for every £1 spent, but opposition shadow transport secretary Sam Rowlands warned the plans are rushed and may neglect rural Wales and smaller bus operators.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Nation.Cymru
End of the line for deregulation as Senedd backs bus shake-up
TrawsCymru T22-20 bus. Photo TfW Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter The Senedd has given the green light for a bus services overhaul, putting ministers in the driving seat to decide routes, timetables and fares. Senedd members voted 34-10, with two abstentions, in favour of a bill to replace the current system in which private operators decide most routes on a commercial basis. A franchising model, similar to London’s, will be rolled out as Wale…
Bus services to return to public control across Wales
BUS services in Wales are set for their biggest transformation in a generation after the Senedd today passed a landmark Bill bringing routes back under public control. The Bus Services (Wales) Bill will overhaul the way local bus networks are planned and delivered, giving the public sector far greater influence over how services run in both rural and urban communities. Ministers say the reforms will put passengers first by creating a network tha…
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