The Guardian
· collected 2026-09-25 · by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent
Transport for London (TfL) announced the launch of Buses for London, a publicly owned company that will begin operating several of London's nearly 700 bus routes from late 2027. Starting with route 6 between Willesden and Victoria station, TfL aims to improve reliability and safety by having greater control over service operations and reinvesting profits back into the transport network. While unions support this move as a step towards better working conditions for drivers and improved services for passengers, private operators argue that it will burden taxpayers without necessarily addressing current issues like congestion and slow travel speeds in London.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Transport for London (TfL) announced the launch of Buses for London, a new public company set to begin operations on several routes starting late 2027. The first route, 6, connecting Willesden and Victoria station, will be taken over by BFL in November 2027, with four additional routes to follow from 2028. TfL aims for greater control over bus services to enhance reliability and safety while aligning with climate goals. Currently, TfL contracts nearly 700 bus routes to eight private operators; the new public venture will initially run around 100 zero-emission buses based at a depot in Old Oak regeneration area. London Mayor Sadiq Khan supports this initiative as an opportunity to improve value for money and better serve passengers and drivers, though it has sparked criticism from Conservatives who argue it is politically motivated rather than practical.
Written for “TfL Public Bus Operator Launch London” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
A publicly owned company, Buses for London, will start running services in the capital next year, Transport for London has announced.
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Transport → own → London
TfL said the launch was a “major milestone” in its plans to improve buses for drivers and passengers.
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launch → say → drivers
The new public company will take over a handful of London’s bus routes, which number nearly 700 in total, from late 2027, starting with route 6, which runs between Willesden and Victoria station.
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which → take → Willesden
A further four routes to be run by the public company from 2028 are to be announced.
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routes → run → 2028
TfL said the creation of a publicly owned bus company would give it greater control over how services were run, allowing it to make buses more reliable and safe, and to reinvest profits into improving the transport network.
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buses → say → network
At present, TfL contracts bus services to eight privately owned operators.
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TfL → contract → operators
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This is an opportunity to 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.”
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roads → say → passengers
London’s buses have been getting gradually slower and passenger numbers have fallen over the past decade, as they battle with congestion and demands on road space in the capital.
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they → get → capital
Lorna Murphy, TfL’s director of buses, said the public company marked “an exciting new chapter”, with a depot in the Old Oak regeneration area that would be “the first home of a new generation of zero-emission buses … helping us to build on the progress we’ve already made towards a more sustainable transport system”.
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we → say → system
Unions welcomed the move but private operators said the taxpayer would foot the bill for investment and take on more risk.
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taxpayer → welcome → risk
The Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Unite has long been calling for London’s bus services to be returned to public ownership.
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services → say → ownership
Outsourcing to private companies hasn’t worked well for workers or passengers.
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Outsourcing → work → workers
“For too long, bus workers have been subjected to intolerable working conditions and passengers have experienced worsening services, while bus firms and their shareholders rake in huge profits.”
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firms → subject → profits
The union’s national officer for passenger transport, Wayne King, said it was “only the beginning”.
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it → say → transport
He said Unite expected Buses for London to “lead the way in workers’ pay, terms and conditions and treatment and will hold TfL and the mayor to account on this”.
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Buses → say → this
The Confederation of Passenger Transport, representing bus firms, said it would not fix London’s buses.
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it → represent → buses
Graham Vidler, the chief executive of CPT, said: “Passengers don’t need a new public bus operator.
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Passengers → say → operator
They need faster, more reliable journeys and investment should be made where passengers will actually feel the difference: tackling congestion, giving buses priority and getting London moving.
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London → need → priority
“Regardless of who operates the service, buses typically travel at just 9 mph in London – slower than the average cyclist.”
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buses → operate → cyclist
He said private operators had made significant investment in London’s bus network, including new vehicles and technology, adding: “The uncertainty created by a new publicly owned operator risks making it harder for private operators to make the case for continued investment in London in the future.”
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operators → say → future
Labour’s bus overhauls since 2025, which push wider franchising and public control of services, have also made it possible for local authorities nationwide to establish new publicly owned companies.
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authorities → push → companies
A few municipal companies, such as Reading, Blackpool and Nottingham, survived deregulation and privatisation in the 1980s.
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companies → survive → 1980s
The Aporia
