The Weaver Network Board met on Thursday 22 October 2026 to discuss variations to the Mayor's Fares Scheme in response to the upcoming £2 national bus fare cap, review bus performance, and receive an update on the bus reform customer workstream. Key decisions included the removal of local subsidy support for adult single bus fares from January 2027, while continuing support for MCard DaySaver tickets, and noting the progress on customer-facing services for bus franchising.

Variation of Mayor's Fares Scheme

The Board approved significant changes to the Mayor's Fares Scheme, which will take effect from 1 January 2027. This decision was made in response to the Department for Transport's (DfT) introduction of a national £2 bus fare cap.

The primary decision was to approve the removal of local subsidy support for adult single bus fares. This means that from 1 January 2027, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) will no longer provide additional support for adult single journeys, as the national £2 fare cap is expected to be the principal funding mechanism. This change is anticipated to save the WYCA approximately £4.2 million between January and March 2027. The arguments for this change centred on avoiding duplication of public funding, reducing the risk of operator over-compensation, and aligning with the national scheme.

However, the Board also approved the continuation of subsidy support for the MCard DaySaver, maintaining its current customer price of £6.00. Support for prepaid Day, Week, and Month multi-operator MCard tickets will also continue until 31 March 2027. This decision was made to maintain simplicity and affordability for passengers who make multiple journeys in a day, as there is no direct national equivalent for day tickets.

The Commercial Manager (Transport Services) will finalise the necessary scheme documentation. Furthermore, a paper will be presented to the Combined Authority Board in December 2026 to seek approval for a Weaver Network Fares, Ticketing and Retail Strategy, with a further paper to follow regarding a replacement integrated fare subsidy scheme from 1 April 2027.

During the discussion, concerns were raised about the potential impact on smaller operators who might struggle with the administrative burden of the national scheme and the risk of them being put out of business. Officers confirmed that efforts were underway to prepare a submission on behalf of small operators to the DfT for potential additional support. Questions were also raised about the long-term funding of the fare cap beyond 2027, with assurances that discussions were ongoing with the DfT and that the transition to a franchised bus network by 2028 would shift revenue risk.

Bus Performance Quarterly Update

The Board received a quarterly update on the performance of the current bus network, noting improvements in punctuality and reliability. The report highlighted that patronage decline is decelerating, with the latest figures showing a 1.14% decline in Q2 2026, which is lower than the pre-pandemic rate of decline. While adult patronage has seen a decrease, this has been offset by growth in under-19 and disabled passenger journeys.

Punctuality has improved to 85.7%, and service reliability has also increased, with cancellations falling to 0.9%, meaning over 99% of services operated as planned. The Board noted the positive impact of the Great British Summer Savings scheme, which provided free bus travel for 5- to 15-year-olds in August 2026, resulting in an estimated 840,000 more journeys by under-19s.

Members raised concerns about specific routes experiencing persistent issues, vehicle breakdowns, and inaccurate information provided by operators. The Board requested further information on improvement actions and mitigations for these performance issues. Discussions also touched upon the transition to the Weaver app from the MCard app, with assurances that the process would be seamless for users.

The Board resolved to note the report, raise concerns regarding bus network performance, and request further information on improvement actions. They also agreed to share further areas of service delivery they wished to see in future quarterly reports.

Bus Reform Customer Workstream Update Paper

An update was provided on the bus reform customer workstream, which is preparing customer-facing functions for the launch of bus franchising in spring 2027. These functions will include travel information, disruption communications, feedback management, and lost property services, all operating under the Weaver Network brand. The aim is to provide a single point of contact for passengers, replacing the current fragmented system of contacting individual operators.

The report outlined the technology requirements for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to ensure customers experience at least the same standards of service on day one of franchising, with iterative improvements thereafter. The MVP will focus on four key areas: feedback management, the contact centre, lost property, and workforce planning. An initial capital expenditure of up to £656,500 is proposed, funded through the West Yorkshire Transport Fund Allocation.

The Board noted the approval request to the Combined Authority and the associated initial capital expenditure, as well as the approach to building the MVP. Members welcomed the move towards a single point of contact and discussed how this would improve customer service, particularly regarding out-of-hours contact and the handling of complaints. The potential for improved reporting on customer feedback and the role of the Board in scrutinising operator performance were also discussed. The need for a clear process for lost property, including school buses, was highlighted, and officers committed to providing further detail on this.

The Board noted the update and the approach being taken for the customer workstream.