April 27 2026
The cost of living remains a dominant voter concern ahead of the 2026 Senedd election, with parties placing particular emphasis on bus fares and concessionary travel.
Labour would “guarantee continuation of our £1 bus fare for under 25s and free bus travel for over 60s” while also introducing a £2 cap on adult fares. The current offer is for under 22s, so it’s unclear if this proposes broadening the scheme.
The Liberal Democrats would also extend the existing £1 fare to under 25s, while the Greens would make travel free for under 22s and set a £1 adult single fare. Plaid Cymru’s pledge is to continue existing schemes, while the Conservatives seek an extension of free travel to under 25s and to veterans.
Beyond fares, Welsh Labour position franchising as an opportunity to “introduce new minimum standards for bus drivers' terms and conditions” and “attract a more diverse workforce”, while Plaid Cymru refer to working with “local authorities and operators to maximise the benefits of reform to bus services – to ensure that franchising really delivers better, more accessible and affordable services”.
Improving integration between modes of public and active travel is a consistent theme across the manifestos. Plaid Cymru and the Greens emphasise simplifying the passenger experience through integrated ticketing, including tap-on/tap-off systems and fare caps linked to rail. Both also propose better integrated timetabling.
Expanding the bus network is another prominent theme. Labour promise “more than 100 new bus routes and an unprecedented increase in services”. Plaid Cymru propose an express north–south service between Bangor and Carmarthen, while the Greens would introduce new express routes, including cross-valley links.
The role of transport in supporting access to education and healthcare is highlighted across several manifestos. Labour would “require all health boards to produce a transport plan to improve transport routes to and from hospital sites”. The Conservatives will “protect free home to school transport, including for pupils attending their nearest Welsh-medium school”. Both Plaid Cymru and Labour wish to review learner travel with the latter suggesting exploring “setting up a publicly owned, not-for-profit learner travel provider”. The Lib Dems propose “cultural transport subsidies to enable free travel for schools in rural and deprived areas, ensuring that access to museums and cultural experiences is truly open to all”.
On the topic of 20mph, positions diverge: Reform UK and the Conservatives support rolling it back, the Greens support retaining it, while other parties do not make explicit commitments in their manifestos.
All have plans to improve the nation’s roads and connections, with another hot topic, fixing the potholes, explicitly cited by the Greens and Conservatives.
Bus priority receives limited attention across the manifestos. Plaid Cymru are the only party to make a clear commitment, aiming to extend bus priority measures and reduce congestion. The also propose “new housing and workplaces are better planned around access to buses, walking and cycling”.
There is no mention of bus or coach in Reform UK’s manifesto. More broadly, coach travel receives limited attention, although the Greens propose developing “a national strategy for long-distance coach services, identifying locations for modern coach stations that link effectively with local bus and rail networks”.
A central test for all of these commitments will be whether they are financially deliverable, with initial analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies raising questions about affordability.