TfL announces capital's publicly owned bus company

Transport for London (TfL) is setting up its own bus company to run some of the capital's routes directly, starting with the service between Willesden and Victoria in late 2027.

The line, route 6, will be the first to operate under the new Buses for London name, with four more routes to be announced over the next year and due to start from 2028.

All of London's bus routes - around 700 or so - are currently contracted out to eight privately owned operators.

TfL said running services itself would give it greater control over reliability and safety, and allow profits to be reinvested into the transport network.

The company's first base will be Park Royal Depot in west London, which will initially house about 100 zero-emission buses, TfL said.

The site is being leased until 2033, when it is due to be redeveloped as part of the Old Oak regeneration scheme. TfL said it would work with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) to find a permanent depot before then.

Mayor of London Lord Khan said the move was "an opportunity to really reimagine our bus network so that it provides better value for money, supports our climate goals, makes our roads safer, and overall just works better for passengers and drivers alike".

TfL's director of buses, Lorna Murphy, called it "an important first step in exploring how a publicly owned bus company could support the future of the capital's transport network".

OPDC chief executive Matthew Carpen said the depot would "temporarily support London's transport network" before the land was released for homes and employment space.

TfL said the plans had been drawn up after talks with the Unite union which has "long been" calling for a public bus ownership.

"Today's news is a positive step, Unite will now be doing everything possible to ensure that Buses for London provides well-paid, unionised jobs with excellent conditions," Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said.

Currently, private firms submit bids to TfL to run franchised services for seven years per contract.

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