Legalize / United Kingdom / Wales / Act of Senedd Cymru

Bus Services (Wales) Act 2026

Type Act of Senedd Cymru

Publication 2026-02-02

State In force

Jurisdiction Wales

Department Statute Law Database

Source legislation.gov.uk

Reform history JSON API

PART 1 — KEY CONCEPTS AND GENERAL OBJECTIVES

Key concepts

Meaning of “local bus service”

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(1) For the purposes of this Act, a local bus service is a service for the carriage of passengers by road at separate fares, using one or more public service vehicles, that—

(a) meets the condition in subsection (3), and

(b) has one or more embarkation or disembarkation points in Wales.

(2) But references in this Act to a local bus service do not include references to—

(a) a section 19 service (for which see section 44(1));

(b) a Part 3 of Schedule 1 service (for which see section 44(1));

(d) a rail replacement service.

(3) A service meets the condition in this subsection if, in the case of each of its embarkation points—

(a) the next disembarkation point is under 15 miles away (when measured in a straight line), and

(b) there is no point on the route between that embarkation point and that disembarkation point that is 15 miles away, or more than 15 miles away, from either of them (when measured in a straight line).

(4) For the purposes of this section—

(a) “public service vehicle” has the meaning given in section 1 of the 1981 Act;

(b) “excursion or tour” has the meaning given in section 137(1) of the 1985 Act;

(c) a “rail replacement service” is a service for the carriage of passengers, as a substitute for a railway passenger service that is temporarily interrupted or that has been discontinued.

(5) Where a part of a non-qualifying service would meet the condition in subsection (3) if that part were a service in its own right, that part is itself to be treated as being a local bus service for the purposes of this Act other than the duty in section 5(1)(a).

(6) For the purposes of subsection (5) a “non-qualifying service” is a service (other than one within subsection (2)) for the carriage of passengers by road at separate fares, using one or more public service vehicles, which has one or more embarkation or disembarkation points in Wales, but which does not meet the condition in subsection (3).

(7) Subsection (5)(b) and (c) of section 1 of the 1981 Act (meaning of “fares”) applies for the purposes of this section.

Meaning of “embarkation point” and “disembarkation point”

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In this Act—

(a) references to an “embarkation point”, in relation to a service, are to any point on its route at which embarkation onto the service is permitted (whether or not passengers are also permitted to disembark from the service at that point);

(b) references to a “disembarkation point”, in relation to a service, are to any point on its route at which disembarkation from the service is permitted, otherwise than in the case of an emergency (whether or not passengers are also permitted to embark on the service at that point).

Meaning of “flexible local bus service” and “standard local bus service”

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In this Act—

(a) references to a “flexible local bus service” are to a local bus service which, regardless of the existence of any limited fixed sections of route, is in the entirety of its operation so flexible that it would not be practicable to identify its route for the purposes of the Welsh Bus Network Plan (see section 5(1)(b));

(b) references to a “standard local bus service” are to a local bus service that is not a flexible local bus service.

Objectives

Welsh Ministers’ duty to have regard to objectives

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(1) In exercising any function under this Act, the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the following objectives.

(2) The first objective is to promote the use of local bus services.

(3) The second objective is continuously to improve the reliability, safety, affordability and accessibility of local bus services.

(4) The third objective is to work towards increasing the availability of local bus services.

(5) The fourth objective is to work towards achieving an integrated transport system.

(6) The fifth objective is to facilitate passenger journeys that involve using more than one local bus service.

(7) The sixth objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste from road transport.

(8) The seventh objective is to facilitate access by passengers using local bus services to places where education, training, health services or social care services are provided.

(9) The eighth objective is to work towards removing or reducing barriers that disincentivise the use of local bus services.

(10) In this section—

(a) “education” includes higher education;

(b) “greenhouse gas” has the same meaning as in Part 2 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 3);

(c) “health services” means services provided under section 3 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (c. 42) (including services regarded for the purposes of the duty in subsection (1) of that section as being provided under that duty);

(d) “social care services” means services that are treated as being regulated services for the purposes of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 2).

PART 2 — FUNCTIONS OF THE WELSH MINISTERS RELATING TO LOCAL BUS SERVICES

Core duties of the Welsh Ministers

Local bus services: core duties

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(1) The Welsh Ministers must—

(a) determine the local bus services that they consider are required for the purpose of securing safe, integrated, sustainable, efficient and economic transport in Wales,

(b) publish a plan (to be known as the “Welsh Bus Network Plan”) setting out the key particulars of those local bus services, and

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), the key particulars of a service are—

(a) in the case of a standard local bus service, the route and principal embarkation and disembarkation points that the Welsh Ministers consider are required for the purposes of the provision of that service;

(b) in the case of a flexible local bus service—

(i) the geographical area in which the Welsh Ministers consider that service is required to operate;

(ii) any fixed sections of route that the Welsh Ministers consider to be required for the purposes of the provision of that service;

(iii) any fixed embarkation or disembarkation points that the Welsh Ministers consider to be required for the purposes of the provision of that service.

(3) For further provision relating to the Welsh Bus Network Plan, see sections 6 to 8.

(4) For an exception to the duty in subsection (1)(c) in the case of cross-border services, see section 20 (cross-border services and the duty to secure the provision of services).

(5) Where the Welsh Ministers are required by this section to secure the provision of a local bus service, they may secure that service by doing any one or more of the following—

(a) entering into a local bus service contract in respect of a local bus service under section 10;

(b) granting a permit in respect of a local bus service under section 12;

(d) relying on the provision of a service as described in section 19.

(6) The Welsh Ministers must, before the end of the period of 12 months beginning on the day after the day on which this Act receives Royal Assent, lay before Senedd Cymru a statement on preparations for the coming into force of section 5(1)(c).

(7) The statement must, in particular, address preparations in relation to organisational capacity.

Welsh Bus Network Plan

Preparation of Welsh Bus Network Plan

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(1) Before publishing the Welsh Bus Network Plan under section 5(1)(b), the Welsh Ministers must prepare a draft of the Plan.

(2) In preparing the draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan, the Welsh Ministers must seek the views of every local authority.

(3) The Welsh Ministers must also, in preparing the draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan, have regard to each of the following—

(a) the Wales Transport Strategy;

(b) each regional transport plan having effect under section 109A of the Transport Act 2000 (c. 38);

(4) Having prepared the draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan, the Welsh Ministers must, before publishing the Plan, consult each of the following persons on the draft—

(a) every local authority;

(b) each corporate joint committee established by regulations made under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1);

(d) any persons appearing to the Welsh Ministers to represent the interests of operators of local bus services that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate;

(e) any persons appearing to the Welsh Ministers to represent the interests of employees of operators of local bus services that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate;

(f) any persons appearing to the Welsh Ministers to represent the interests of persons using or likely to use local bus services that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate;

(g) any other person that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate.

(5) Having consulted those persons on the draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan, the Welsh Ministers may publish the Plan under section 5(1)(b) either in the terms of the draft or, if they consider it appropriate having regard to any views expressed in the course of the consultation, in other terms.

(6) As soon as practicable after publishing the Welsh Bus Network Plan under section 5(1)(b), the Welsh Ministers must lay it before Senedd Cymru.

(7) The requirement imposed by subsection (1) to prepare a draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan may be satisfied by a draft prepared before the coming into force of this section.

(8) The requirement imposed by subsection (2) that the Welsh Ministers seek views in preparing a draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan may be satisfied by seeking views before the coming into force of this section.

(9) The requirement imposed by subsection (4) to consult on a draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan may be satisfied by consultation carried out before the coming into force of this section.

Review and revision of Welsh Bus Network Plan

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(1) The Welsh Ministers must keep the Welsh Bus Network Plan under review.

(2) The Welsh Ministers—

(a) must make any revision to the Welsh Bus Network Plan that they consider is required to ensure that it continues to set out the key particulars referred to in section 5(2);

(b) may make any other revision to the Welsh Bus Network Plan that they consider appropriate.

(3) But subsection (2)(a) does not require the Welsh Ministers to revise the Welsh Bus Network Plan to reflect any steps taken in respect of a local bus service that would (but for this subsection) require revision to the Plan, if the Welsh Ministers consider that the period for which those steps will have effect will not exceed 14 days.

(4) In considering whether to revise the Welsh Bus Network Plan and the nature of any revision, the Welsh Ministers must have regard to each of the following—

(a) the Wales Transport Strategy;

(b) if they consider that the proposed revision may affect any part of the area of a corporate joint committee established by regulations made under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, that committee’s regional transport plan having effect under section 109A of the Transport Act 2000 (c. 38);

(5) After making any revision to the Welsh Bus Network Plan, the Welsh Ministers must as soon as reasonably practicable publish the revised Welsh Bus Network Plan.

(6) If the Welsh Ministers make any revision to the Welsh Bus Network Plan after the most recent date on which it was laid before Senedd Cymru (either under this section or section 6) they must, within the period of 13 months beginning with the date on which the Plan was most recently laid before Senedd Cymru, lay before Senedd Cymru—

(a) a further copy of the Welsh Bus Network Plan, and

(b) a statement setting out the differences between that further copy of the Plan, and the preceding copy of the Plan laid before Senedd Cymru.

(7) Section 8 makes further provision about revisions to the Welsh Bus Network Plan.

Further provision about revisions to the Welsh Bus Network Plan

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(1) This section applies in relation to any revision to the Welsh Bus Network Plan that the Welsh Ministers propose to make (a “proposed revision”), unless the Welsh Ministers consider—

(a) that the effect of the proposed revision on the provision of local bus services would be no more than minor, or

(b) that it would not be reasonably practicable to carry out consultation on the proposed revision as described in subsection (4).

(2) Before making the proposed revision, the Welsh Ministers must prepare a draft of the Welsh Bus Network Plan incorporating the proposed revision (the “revised draft Plan”).

(3) In preparing the revised draft Plan, the Welsh Ministers must, if they consider that the proposed revision may affect any part of the area of a local authority, seek the views of that authority.

(4) Having prepared the revised draft Plan, the Welsh Ministers must, before making the proposed revision to the Welsh Bus Network Plan, consult each of the following persons on the proposed revision—

(a) where the Welsh Ministers consider the proposed revision may affect any part of the area of a local authority, that authority;

(b) where the Welsh Ministers consider the proposed revision may affect any part of the area of a corporate joint committee established by regulations made under Part 5 of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), that committee;

(c) where the Welsh Ministers consider the proposed revision may affect any part of the area of a National Park authority for a National Park in Wales, that authority;

(d) any persons appearing to the Welsh Ministers to represent the interests of operators of affected local bus services that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate;

(e) any persons appearing to the Welsh Ministers to represent the interests of employees of operators of affected local bus services that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate;

(f) any persons appearing to the Welsh Ministers to represent the interests of persons using or likely to use affected local bus services that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate;

(g) any other person that the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate.

(5) For the purposes of that consultation, the Welsh Ministers must provide each of those persons with a copy of the revised draft Plan.

(6) Having consulted those persons on the proposed revision, the Welsh Ministers may revise the Welsh Bus Network Plan either in the terms of the revised draft Plan or, if they consider it appropriate having regard to any views expressed in the course of the consultation, in other terms.

(7) In this section, references to “affected local bus services”, in relation to consultation on a proposed revision, are to local bus services that the Welsh Ministers consider would be affected by the proposed revision.

Revision of Welsh Bus Network Plan: local authority duties

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(1) This section applies where the views of a local authority are sought under section 8(3).

(2) The local authority must, in giving its views, have regard to the needs of persons in its area who it considers use, or are likely to use, local bus services affected by the proposed revision, including in particular their needs relating to the accessibility of local bus services; and must consider whether for this purpose it should carry out consultation with persons in its area on the proposed revision.

Local bus service contracts

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(1) The Welsh Ministers may, for the purposes of fulfilling their duty under section 5(1)(c) in respect of a local bus service, enter into an agreement under this section (referred to in this Act as a “local bus service contract”) in respect of a service.

(2) A local bus service contract is a contract, in respect of a local bus service, setting out terms on which—

(a) the Welsh Ministers grant to a person within subsection (3) the right to operate the service, and

(b) that person undertakes to provide the service.

(3) The persons within this subsection are—

(a) a person who is the holder of a community bus permit;

(b) a person who is the holder of a PSV operator’s licence.

(4) In the case of a local bus service contract entered into with a person within subsection (3)(a) in respect of a service that is a community bus service, the terms specified in the contract must require that—

(a) the service in question is provided as a community bus service, and

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