The Bus Services Act will make it easier for local leaders to take control of their buses and put passengers first
Better buses are on their way for thousands of passengers across the country after the government’s Bus Services Bill became law yesterday evening (27 October 2025), marking a new dawn for bus travel in the UK.
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Buses remain the most used form of public transport across England, but around 300 million fewer miles were driven by bus services in England in 2024 compared to 2010, with passengers suffering from sudden route cuts and a lack of accountability.
This landmark move will end the risk of routes being scrapped at short notice by tightening the requirements for cancelling vital routes, an issue which has left passengers, particularly those who are elderly, disabled or living in rural areas, cut off and isolated from their communities.
The government will now empower councils to identify services which they deem as socially necessary, meaning strict requirements must be followed if operators wish to cancel or change them.
Not only will the new laws ensure services are protected but it will also lift the ban on local authorities setting up their own bus companies, allowing them to run their own services to ensure that passengers, not profit, come first.
The Bus Services Act also includes plans to mandate staff, including drivers and those based at bus stations, to undertake training to recognise and handle incidents of anti-social behaviour and crime, including violence against women and girls.
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The government will back bus services with further funding for local authorities, which will be agreed in the coming weeks.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
As well as plans to allow councils to start their own bus services, the Bus Services Act will also cut the red tape holding back bus franchising, where local authorities allow companies to operate in their areas while retaining control over key aspects such as routes and fares, ensuring this model can be delivered faster.
The government is already backing local authorities York and North Yorkshire, Cornwall, Cumbria, Hertfordshire, Cheshire West and Chester as part of the Bus Franchising Pilots, which aims to explore how local authorities could take control of its bus network and transform rural services to work for everyone.
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Corinne Pluchino, Chief Executive of Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), said:
Paul Nowak, General Secretary, TUC said:
Jason Prince, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said: