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Commercial Vehicles & LCVs

New bus, coach and minibus market down 50.6% in Q2 – the SMMT

The fourth consecutive quarterly decline was primarily due to a 70.9% fall in minibus registrations, from 1,803 units to 525.

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The UK’s new bus, coach and minibus market fell by 50.6% to 1,465 units in the second quarter of 2026 as demand continued to normalise after two strong years of fleet renewal, according to data published the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The fourth consecutive quarterly decline was primarily due to a 70.9% fall in minibus registrations, from 1,803 units to 525, causing market share to drop to 35.8% – a steep decline on last year’s Q2 share of 60.7% when registrations were up 99.7%.

Smaller declines were recorded in double-decker registrations, down 20.1% to 413 units and single-deckers, down 18.7% to 527 units.

Wales was the only region to record growth in the quarter, up 138% to 119 units, due in part to increased investment from the Welsh Government in public transport, particularly the cross-country TrawsCymru bus network.

England remained the largest market despite volumes falling 49.9% to 1,190 vehicles.

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Scotland recorded the largest decline of 71.9% to 141 units, followed by Northern Ireland, which saw a fall of 64.1% to 14 units.

Zero emission bus registrations fell 37% to 388 units, less than the overall market, meaning market share increased to more than a quarter (26.5%), up from a fifth (20.8%) in the same period last year.

Across the first half of the year, zero-emission vehicles accounted for nearly a third (32.1%) of the market, underlining the continued momentum driving the sector’s transition to greener transport.

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The Government’s vision for buses and the publication of a long-term zero-emission bus order pipeline demonstrate the important role buses play in delivering cleaner, more accessible public transport, according to the SMMT.

It added that while demand is down following two years of growth from a variety of investments, including the ZEBRA fund, sustained support remains critical to maintain fleet renewal.

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This is particularly the case for local authorities and operators who face higher transition costs, as well as those serving rural communities where infrastructure deployment can prove more challenging.

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The SMMT explained that investment in fleet renewal will help drive the shift to cleaner public transport across the nation, bringing benefits for in terms of carbon emissions, air quality and local community mobility.

However, it said that further action is needed to accelerate grid connections and depot upgrades to ensure operators have the infrastructure required to deploy zero-emission buses efficiently.

Mike Hawes, chief executive at the SMMT, said: “While bus registrations continue to decline, this remains something of a normalisation after two exceptionally strong years of investment.

“Zero emission buses continue to outperform the wider market, however, resulting in an increasing share and helping provide green mobility across the country.

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“Manufacturers have invested heavily into these new technologies, and continued government support can drive up the fleet renewal needed to ensure the UK benefits from a cleaner bus network.”

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