Source · National Audit Office

Local bus services in England

Published: 27 Jun 2025 Recommendations: 7 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 7 Department: Department for Transport

A new NAO report examines if the Department for Transport has delivered value for money from its support to local bus services outside of London.

Dept: Department for Transport Topics: Driving and road transportLocal economyLocal governmentLocal services and housingTransport nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

7 items

7 accepted 1 implemented 6 in progress

Rec	Recommendation	Addressee	Acceptance	Implementation
1	DfT should clearly and consistently communicate what its long-term strategic ambitions for bus services and associated plans are, so that the sector can organise itself to deliver these Ref Page 12, 22a · Implemented Q1 2026-27	Department for Transport	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
2	DfT should ensure that roles, responsibilities and accountabilities within the sector are clearly articulated, understood and shared, including what DfT?s role is as custodian of the national bus services system, and under what circumstances and how it might intervene where under-performance emerges Ref Page 12, 22b · Implemented Q1 2026-27	Department for Transport	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
3	DfT should agree with, and communicate to, relevant stakeholders what range of information it needs to best monitor the bus services system and act to fulfil its role as custodian of that system, including information that will allow it to: ? assess local transport authority performance; ? identify leading indicators of emerging issues in the sector; ? inform how it targets and assesses the effectiveness of its funding; ? target interventions to achieve national outcomes; and ? improve the timelines of the data it collects Ref Page 12, 22c · Implemented Q4 2026-27	Department for Transport	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
4	DfT should develop its understanding of which capabilities local transport authorities will need, to better target the support they receive. Ref Page 12, 22d · Implemented Q2 2026-27	Department for Transport	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
5	DfT should identify further opportunities where it can support local transport authorities to deal with common issues and avoid duplication of effort by providing advice on standardised approaches or templates; DfT should look for this to include, for example, areas such as: ? support to various approaches to franchising; ? best practice for enhanced partnerships; and ? the procurement of zero emissions vehicles; Ref Page 12, 22e · Implemented Q3 2026-27	Department for Transport	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
6	DfT should develop the Bus Centre of Excellence to support local transport authorities and bus operators in the activity that will help achieve the outcomes DfT wants; in doing so, DfT should consider how this could include areas such as: ? facilitating secondments within the sector, between bus operators and government; ? collating and sharing of best practice that is relevant to challenges faced by local transport authorities with different characteristics; and ? providing expert advice on areas relating to capital projects; Ref Page 12, 22f · Implemented Q3 2026-27	Department for Transport	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
7	DfT should consolidate funding grants for buses and establish the case, for discussion with HM Treasury, for providing long-term certainty to the sector on the funding available for bus services Ref Page 12, 22g · Implemented Q3 2025-26	Department for Transport	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.

29 Oct 2025 Public Accounts C… 50th Report - Local bus services in England — 19 recommendations · parliament.uk