Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of local bus franchising models on passenger patronage rates in non-metropolitan areas.

The Department has not made an assessment of the effect of bus franchising models on patronage in non-metropolitan areas.

To date, the only areas outside London to have introduced bus franchising are Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region, with Liverpool currently in the process of implementation.

The Department is supporting local transport authorities interested in pursuing franchising through its Franchising Support Fund. Launched in March 2026, the fund helps eligible authorities meet the costs of undertaking a franchising feasibility study or preparing a franchising assessment.