Search for bus operators in new franchise system

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has taken bus services back under public control

Operators are now being sought to run bus services in West Yorkshire under a new franchise model.

The Weaver Network is a series of contracts made available since Mayor Tracy Brabin and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) brought buses under local control earlier this year.

Bus companies can bid to take on the routes, but a single branding will be deployed across the network so that it is more recognisable for passengers.

WYCA's transport committee chair, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said: "We are eager to see franchised services running as soon as possible."

It is hoped the first contracts will be awarded in spring and summer 2026, to commence in 2027.

WYCA has set out strict criteria for any operators wanting to run services in the region, to raise standards and ensure value for money.

They have now begun a technical procurement process by opening a "dynamic market" for potential operators.

A new West Yorkshire-wide, franchised network will see bus fares, routes and timetables set by WYCA, with bus operators accepted and registered onto the dynamic market invited to bid for contracts to run services.

The work will ensure West Yorkshire becomes only the third area in the country, after Manchester and Liverpool city regions, to start the process of signing up operators to run franchised services.

Brabin said the region had suffered from a "disjointed, confusing and increasingly hard-to-navigate public transport system" for too long.

The name was inspired by the region's industrial past, WYCA said, and "visually reflects the cultural fabric of modern-day West Yorkshire".

The authority said that when buses were taken under local control from 2027, the new branding would then be rolled out further and eventually included on the planned tram system.

Hinchcliffe added: "This is our opportunity to challenge operators to show us what they can offer as part of a new system where the passenger comes first.

"I invite operators large and small to get in touch and get involved, and help us to create a better-connected West Yorkshire."

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