(31 Jul 2020, 8:52 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Or, as we've seen with the trains companies, it may just end up with operators overbidding on things they can't deliver. It's not as if franchising is the be all and end all.

While in an ideal world franchising would work, I just can't possibly see a way for it to work up here, it'd end up doing more harm than good

Bus franchising and Train franchising are quite different. In terms of buses, the transport body would set the service levels, bus specification and route(s) and operators would bid for the work tendered. The most attractive bid wins. Also, another thing to consider is that before awarding Tfl will go around to the garage to assess the suitability of the operator obtaining the new work.