BUS services across the county and potential changes to how they are delivered will be looked at in detail by Somerset Council’s transport team.

The Council has been awarded funding by the Department for Transport (DfT) to carry out a bus franchising pre-feasibility assessment.

Bus franchising is a system in which the local transport authority, in this case, Somerset Council awards exclusive contracts to private operators to run bus services on specific routes or areas.

Unlike the current enhanced partnership system, the authority retains control over routes, fares, timetables, and service standards.

Recent changes to legislation guidance and availability of funding from government means the council can carry out a formal evidence-based pre-feasibility assessment to look at the different franchising models available, and see whether any could deliver improved outcomes for transport operators and people in Somerset.

Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Highways and Transport Cllr Richard Wilkins, said: “We are grateful to Government for providing this opportunity and will thoroughly test whether franchising can realistically deliver better outcomes for passengers than Somerset’s current approach through Enhanced Partnership arrangements, Bus Service Improvement Plan interventions, and targeted service support.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to provide a robust evidence base to inform future decision making.

“We are going to work really closely with stakeholders, including bus user groups to understand current shortcomings that could be fixed either by a revised and improved Enhanced Partnership or a franchised approach.

“This is about unpacking all the options and seeing what could work in Somerset to deliver improved bus services.”

The Enhanced Partnership was developed with local bus operators from June 2021 with the creation of a Bus Service Improvement Plan.

Tthe government announced a new funding formula for allocating Bus Service Improvement Plan grants to Local Transport Authorities in 2024 and Somerset was awarded £6.3 million for the 2025/26 financial year.