The journey to better buses: My conversation with Minister Lightwood
Waiting for a bus that never arrives or discovering a route you depend upon has been cut has been a frustrating reality for some across England. Buses are the lifeblood of communities yet often, services have been unreliable or, worse still, unavailable.
However, a shift is underway. Propelled by the Bus Services Act (which last week received royal assent), a new vision aims to transfer power from central government and operators to local areas, placing the passenger experience at the core of the system.
Last week, to coincide with the new Act, I had the pleasure of interviewing Transport Minister Simon Lightwood MP, to get his take on the new law, and what it will mean in practise.
For Minister Lightwood, transport is personal. His father was a bus driver, and he emphasised that his journey to attend college would not have been possible without a reliable bus network.
It is this background, I believe, that frames the Minister’s views on buses: for him, buses are not an abstract issue but a vital engine for social mobility. His lived experience underpins the human impact that buses have on access and opportunity, which are a driving force behind the Government’s reforms. As he put it, buses “really did... break down the barriers to opportunity for me.”
The new Bus Services Act's central principle, as the Minister puts it, is a deliberate transfer of power “back in the hands of local leaders.” Local authorities now have a toolkit to choose from, including:
- Franchising: where the local authority takes full control of routes, fares, and service frequency.
- Enhanced Partnerships: where councils and bus companies work as a team to design and deliver improvements to bus services.
Crucially, the Act also repeals a ban that prevented local authorities from setting up their own municipal bus companies. This shift ends the one-size-fits-all approach, allowing bus networks to be tailored to the specific needs of each community.
As a local lad, I feel immensely proud to see the yellow Bee Network buses on the streets of Greater Manchester. I am hopeful the new legislation will make it much easier for other areas to emulate this success.
As I explained on the podcast, I worked on the previous legislation (The Bus Services Act 2017) which enabled Greater Manchester to franchise its bus network, although this journey was not without its challenges. So, it’s good that the new Act builds upon the lessons learned and streamlines the process for local authorities to pursue franchising should they wish to.
As a local lad, I feel immensely proud to see the yellow Bee Network buses (which data shows are delivering a vastly improved service than the previous model) on the streets of Greater Manchester. I am hopeful the new legislation will make it much easier for other areas to emulate this success.
Also encouraging to hear, was the value of the bus beyond the day-to-day journeys it enables. The Minister highlighted that the bus sector is a powerful economic engine, employing around 90,000 people in England. Efforts from the Minister, including the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel (on which UTG sits), supports this contribution by aiming to make the UK a global leader in bus manufacturing.
One goal is to give manufacturers the long-term certainty needed to invest, plan, and support the critical transition to zero emission buses. This approach views the bus sector as a strategic industry, and where investment in British manufacturing can help to secure economic prosperity as well as supporting more modern, reliable and greener fleets of buses for passengers.
Our conversation also touched upon the Government's forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy, and it was great to hear the Minister reiterate its focus on people and “making their everyday journeys easier, safer and more dependable, however they chose to travel.”
I’m really looking forward to seeing how our members can use the strategy at the local level to build upon the great work they are already doing on transport.
My overall takeaway was the Minister’s commitment to “putting passengers at the heart” of public transport in the UK. I think this is a vision that sees transport not just as a way to move people, but as a tool for a fairer, more equitable country.
As the Minister concluded, transport is “not just about getting from A to B. It's about unlocking potential. It's about connecting people to jobs, education, and healthcare... that's the mission.”
Jason Prince is Director at the Urban Transport Group
You can listen again to the podcast below.