First step towards greater local control of bus services across York and North Yorkshire approved  

The Mayor and Members of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority have today approved the first steps towards bringing bus services under great local control across the region.  

A report put to Cabinet recommended that members endorse the Mayor’s intention to sign a Notice of Statutory Intent to Prepare an Assessment of Proposed Franchising Scheme. This notice was issued by Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, following the meeting. A budget of up to £3.5 million has been allocated by the Combined Authority Cabinet to develop this assessment.  

The assessment will examine whether franchising could help deliver better outcomes for passengers, communities and businesses, and would inform any future decisions on the operation of bus services in the region. 

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:   

“Bus services across York and North Yorkshire just aren’t working for our residents. Too many people are cut off from training, jobs, leisure and being able to get where they need to go.  

“We need to move away from a system that allows private operators to extract profit from our region, so we can reinvest that to support more services.  

“This is a significant first step towards more public control over our public services, one I know many residents across York and North Yorkshire will welcome.” 

The decision ensures that York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is able to respond quickly to findings from the commissioned Rural Bus Franchising Pilot Study, funded by the Department of Transport, which is due at the end of October 2026.    

It also builds on the recently approved Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which sets out the vision for a reliable, integrated, accessible, safe and comfortable bus network that connects people to the places they need to go, while supporting communities, businesses and the local economy.