Overview
- MPs voted 362–87 to approve the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill, putting it in its final stage before becoming law.
- The legislation repeals the 2017 ban on council‑owned bus companies and removes the need for central consent to set up franchised networks.
- Local authorities must list services deemed socially necessary and set requirements when operators seek to cancel or vary routes.
- A transport minister pledged statutory guidance on floating bus stop design within three months of royal assent, with Active Travel England funding remediation where needed.
- Conservative MPs tabled a proposal to prepare a ban on new floating bus stops, as campaigners including blind MP Marsha de Cordova and Liberal Democrats highlighted safety concerns and critics warned of financial risks for councils.