FAQs on South West Wales Engagement

Transport for Wales and local authorities in South West Wales are working together to prepare for Bus Reform. This will be the first region of Wales where Bus Reform will be introduced in 2027. 

The first step in bus reform for the region has seen Transport for Wales and local authorities jointly develop a proposal for the bus network in South West Wales. We’re calling this our Proposed Base Network - the routes and frequencies that buses could take in the region - and it’s this we want feedback on, alongside some other key themes.

Collecting public input now will help ensure that we have a sound service operating in South West Wales in 2027.

It will be the first region of Wales where Bus Reform will be introduced in 2027.

The Bus Reform Bill is going through the Senedd and we’re aiming to introduce franchising from summer 2027. Given the scale of the change, we plan to transition to franchising over several years via a regional approach. The key dates and regions (as they stand currently) are:

• South West Wales - 2027
• North Wales - 2028
• South East Wales - 2029
• Mid Wales - 2030

You will be able to identify changes as these will have an alphanumeric numbering system. For example the 82 becomes the u82 in our Proposed Base Network. If the route doesn’t change it keeps the same number it has today.

The Proposed Base Network is the network we believe we can deliver within the limits of our current resources. It’s based around the current network, although it does include some improvements including:

• A simpler network, that is easy to explain, remember and navigate.
• High-frequency core routes that will attract the highest patronage.
• Interchanges between bus services to enable faster journeys to more possible destinations.
• Some more direct services.

However, we must be honest - we are working within the limits of our resources (for example, availability of funding, buses and drivers). For this reason, we’ll not be able to do everything people might want in the first phase. We need to make choices about how we use the resources we have to deliver the best services we can under our constraints.

We understand that there are some service changes planned in South West Wales for September 2025. These service changes are not part of this engagement because Transport for Wales are not currently responsible for managing local bus services. This public engagement focuses on the network we are proposing for 2027.

For more information about the upcoming changes please contact the bus operator or visit their website - 31st August 2025 Service Changes | First Bus

We have suggested some new bus numbers to make it easy to identify a change. This is only to help you during the public engagement. We aren’t planning to change the bus numbers in your area right now.

We want to create a transport network that people want to use, can use and do use - helping to make it easier for people to make more sustainable transport choices now and in the future. Your input is important in helping achieve this.

We've designed a Proposed Base Network based on the current network plus some Improvements, but we want to hear from you to help make refinements. Where we have access to data about travel demand, reliability of bus services and operating conditions, we have drawn on this to support this development but public feedback Is also crucial, and we are now collecting this.

If you have views on bus routes and frequency or thoughts on what we should prioritise when it comes to designing the bus network in your area - now is the time to have your say.

We want to expand the opportunities for people to use public transport, so that is useful to more people in more situations, that’s why it’s important that we have input from users and non-users alike to help refine our proposals to be sure we design bus travel to be accessible to as many people as possible.

Bus services are for everyone, not just the people who use them now. We're keen to involve everyone who has an interest in the future of bus services for the region. We want to hear a diverse range of views - from those who rely heavily on bus services currently as well as those that quite rarely or never use them. 

So, we encourage everyone to contribute to this engagement. We've ensured our 'have your say' engagement platform is as easy as possible to use. We're also hosting in-person events where we can capture feedback live as well as helping people fill in the survey over the phone if necessary.

We're promoting the engagement platform right across the region, through media and social media, in local advertising in town centres and retail locations and via partner organisations like local authority social media, to spread the opportunity to take part far and wide.

We're also promoting the opportunity via networks that represent protected characteristics to be sure we hear from a wide range of voices, including student networks, older peoples and hard to reach groups and the TfW access and inclusion panel.

Feedback will help us refine our proposals and collecting public input now will help ensure that we have a sound service operating in South West Wales in 2027.

We’ll take on board the feedback as we work in partnership with local authorities in South West Wales to update the Proposed Base Network in autumn 2025.

We will make the Updated Base Network publicly available by the end of 2025.

We encourage you to try to complete the survey online in the first instance, as this has the detailed information and maps to help give the specific feedback we require to make refinements to the proposed base network.

However, if this isn't possible you can either visit us at one of our public drop-in events or contact us and we can support you to fill in the survey at the events or over the phone.

Please take a look at our frequently asked questions pages, as we might have the answer you need there.

We also encourage you to visit us at one of our public drop-in events. Members of the TfW and Local Authorities teams will be on hand to chat to you about the Proposed Base Network and take questions, which we hope can help you take part in the online survey, either at the event, or in your own time.

If you can't find the answer on our frequently asked questions pages or don't plan on coming to a public event, you can contact us via tfw.wales/contact-us

Responses can only be formally recorded if received through the survey. We won't be able to accept email contact as a response to the survey, but we will be keen to help you fill in the survey if you need help.

Please note, we won't be able to answer questions about your existing bus service and encourage you to contact your local operator if you need information.

You can find ways to contact us here.

We've arranged a series of drop in events across the South West Wales region, hosting in towns across all four local authorities. We have a small and busy team so whilst we would ideally like to host many more drop in sessions, we need to be sure we balance our resources reasonably.

We've considered accessibility of venues, population and proximity to local transport links in making these arrangements. We appreciate that there will be people who want to meet with us unable to attend an event and we are sorry if that happens, although we've made sure the online information is plentiful and the survey is easy to complete.

We'll be promoting the engagement through lots of other mechanisms including via partner channels, handing out business cards with direct links to the survey, posters on buses, via focus groups and a significant online and out of home advertising plan; keen to spread the opportunity as far and wide as possible. You can also contact us at tfw.wales/contact-us if you need support to fill in the survey.

You have until 23 September to complete the survey.

The data gathered from this engagement will be analysed, evaluated, summarised and published in report form.

We'll work in partnership with local authorities in South West Wales to update the Proposed Base Network in autumn 2025.

We will make the Updated Base Network publicly available by the end of 2025 which we then plan to implement through franchising in 2027.