A municipal bus company is an operator of bus services owned by a local authority.

In the United Kingdom

This article lists all current municipal bus companies in the United Kingdom.

Most municipal bus companies disappeared between 1968 and 1974 before (or with) the formation of PTE bus operations.

Of the remaining municipal operators, post-1986 many were sold off or collapsed in the process of bus deregulation, which required their separation into stand-alone arms-length companies. A few remaining companies have accepted minority-stake holdings in their companies by private bus operating companies, as a method of securing investment.

+List of operating municipal bus companies Local authorities Company Routes Number of vehicles Private shareholdingsAberdeenshire CouncilAberdeenshire Council BusesOperates local bus route 212 (Tarland to Torphins)NoneBeaminster Town CouncilBeaminster Town Council BusesOperates local bus route CB3 (Bridport to Crewkerne)None Blackpool Borough Council Blackpool Transport Operates many local bus routes around Blackpool and nearby areas 158 buses and 75 trams (September 2013)Blackpool North West Buses NoneCaerphilly County Borough CouncilConnect2Operates local bus routes 5A, 13, C1, H1, J, L, around Caerphilly and nearby suburbsNone Cardiff City Council Cardiff Bus Operates many local bus routes around Cardiff and nearby areas 240 None City of Edinburgh Council (91%), East Lothian Council (3%), Midlothian Council (3%), West Lothian Council (3%) Lothian Buses Operates many local bus routes around the city of Edinburgh and nearby suburbs 721 buses and 27 trams (December 2012)Annual Report 2012 Lothian Buses NoneLothian Country BusesOperates many local bus routes between Edinburgh and nearby towns to the West of the cityNoneEast Coast BusesOperates many local bus routes between Edinburgh and nearby towns to the East of the cityNoneEdinburgh Bus ToursOperates various open top sightseeing tour bus routes in Edinburgh aimed at touristsNoneEve CoachesOperates coaches for private hire and contractsNoneLothian MotorcoachesOperates coaches for private hire and contractsNoneCogenhoe and Whiston Parish CouncilCogenhoe and Whiston Parish Council BusesOperates local bus route VH1 (Northampton to Wollaston)None Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Bus Na ComhairleOperates local bus routes W5 (Stornoway to Point) and W5A (Stornoway to Tolsta) and W7 (Stornoway town service) 7NoneDenbighshire County CouncilDenbighshire Council BusesOperates local bus routes 76H (Llangwyfan to Denbigh) and 192 (Llangollen to Melin y Wig)None Dumfries and Galloway Council DGC Buses Operates many local bus routes around Dumfries and nearby towns and rural areas 77 (August 2025)Three new Solos for DGC Buses busandcoach.com 15 February 2010 NoneGibraltar GovernmentGibraltar Bus CompanyOperates most of the local bus routes in the British overseas territory of GibraltarNoneHighland CouncilHighland Council BusesOperates many local bus routes around Inverness and other parts of the Highland Council area, as well as some school contracts 24 (as of September 2026)NoneD & E CoachesOperates many local bus routes around Inverness and other parts of the Highland Council area, as well as some school contracts and also coach routes on behalf of the Scottish Citylink network64 (as of September 2026)None Ipswich Borough Council Ipswich Buses Operates many local bus routes around the city of Ipswich and nearby suburbs, as well as some routes further out in to the Suffolk and Essex areas 76 (September 2013)Ipswich Buses Fleetlist Ipswich Bus Page NoneIsle of Man GovernmentBus VanninOperates the entire Isle of Man bus networkNoneMidlothian CouncilMidlothian Council BusesOperates local bus route 800 (Pathhead to Penicuik)None Moray CouncilMoray Council BusesOperates many local bus routes around Moray in mostly rural areasNone Newport City Council Newport Bus Operates many local bus routes around Newport and nearby areas 90 NoneNorth Lincolnshire CouncilNorth Lincolnshire Council BusesOperates local bus routes 96 (Barton to Brigg) and 97 (Sandtoft to Garthorpe) and 97A (Sandtoft to Crowle)NoneNorth Yorkshire CouncilNorth Yorkshire Council BusesOperates many local bus routes around mostly rural areas of North Yorkshire and some cross border routes in to neighbouring countiesNoneNorthern Ireland GovernmentTranslinkOperates the entire Northern Ireland bus networkNone Nottingham City Council Nottingham City Transport Operates many local bus routes around the city of Nottingham and nearby suburbs and towns 315 (November 2019)Our Fleet Nottingham City Transport Fleet Page 18% owned by TransdevFinal Statement of Accounts 2012/13 Nottingham City Council 2 October 2013Nottinghamshire County CouncilNotts BusOperates many local bus routes around Nottinghamshire in mostly rural areas and smaller townsNoneOxfordshire County CouncilOxfordshire County Council BusesOperates many local bus routes around Oxfordshire in mostly rural areasNonePembrokeshire County CouncilPembrokeshire County Council BusesOperates many local bus routes around Pembrokeshire in mostly rural areasNone Reading Borough Council Reading Buses Operates many local bus routes around Reading and nearby suburbs and towns 165 (May 2013)Fleet List Reading Transport May 2013 NoneNewbury & DistrictOperates many local bus routes around Newbury and nearby suburbs and townsNoneThames Valley BusesOperates many local bus routes around Slough and nearby suburbs and townsNoneRutland County CouncilRutland County Council BusesOperates local bus routes R9 (Oakham to Stamford) and Oakham Hopper (Oakham town service)NoneScottish Borders CouncilScottish Borders Council BusesOperates many local bus routes around the Galashiels and Hawick and Peebles areas including town services and services linking rural areas, as well as school contract servicesNoneSomerset CouncilSomerset Council BusesOperates many local bus routes around mostly rural areas of Somerset and some cross border routes to neighbouring countiesNoneStirling CouncilStirling Council BusesOperates local bus routes C17, C60, C61, C62, TEX, around rural parts of the Stirling Council areaNoneUniversity of HertfordshireUnoOperates many local bus routes around the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire areas mostly focused on the university campuses, as well as a few TfL contracted routes in the North London areaNoneWarrington Borough Council Warrington's Own Buses Operates many local bus routes around Warrington and nearby suburbs and towns 102 (March 2017)Network Warrington Fleet List Network Warrington 10 March 2017 NoneWest Berkshire CouncilWest Berkshire Council BusesOperates local bus route 47 (Lambourn to Swindon)NoneWestmorland and Furness CouncilWestmorland and Furness Council BusesOperates local bus routes 561 (Kendal to Appleby) and S1 (Kendal to Sedbergh)None

See also Bus Eireann a municipal bus operator in the Republic of Ireland Bus Vannin a municipal bus operator fully owned by the Isle of Man Government Dublin Bus a municipal bus operator in the Republic of Ireland East Thames Buses established and owned by Transport for London after deregulation Former municipal bus companies of the United Kingdom History of the PTE bus operations List of bus operating companies List of bus companies of the United Kingdom London Buses a municipal body owned by Transport for London that regulates bus services operated by private companies Uno Bus a bus company fully owned by the University of Hertfordshire Wightbus established and owned by the Isle of Wight Council after deregulation

References