Transport for London has announced the creation of Buses for London, a publicly owned bus company that will begin operating services from late 2027. The new company will initially take over route 6 (running between Willesden and Victoria station) with four additional routes to follow in 2028, marking what TfL describes as a "major milestone" in addressing a decade-long decline in passenger numbers and increasingly slower journey times. TfL believes public ownership will provide greater control over services, enabling it to improve reliability and safety whilst reinvesting profits into the transport network, and supporting climate goals through zero-emission buses.

The company will operate from a depot in the Old Oak regeneration area, serving a network of nearly 700 routes currently operated by eight private contractors. Whilst unions have welcomed the shift towards public ownership, arguing that privatisation has failed workers and passengers, private operators have criticised the move as addressing the wrong problem. They contend that buses in London average just 9 miles per hour—slower than cyclists—and that the real issues are road congestion and lack of bus priority, not the ownership model. Labour's policy shift towards greater public control of bus services since 2025 has enabled local authorities across the country to establish similar publicly owned companies.