A pilot scheme which is trying to give councils more power over local buses will be extended to Hertfordshire, the government has announced.
The Department for Transport believes the scheme - which is testing out a franchising model - could improve punctuality and save vital routes in the county.
The government has handed Hertfordshire County Council £360,000 as part of the initiative.
Paul Zukowskyj, the council's executive member for transport, said he was looking forward to working with other areas "on the best possible future for bus services".
More than 17,000 Hertfordshire residents are believed to rely on buses as their main mode of travel to work.
At the moment, the vast majority of services are operated commercially, which means they rely on passenger demand and having areas where large numbers of customers live in close proximity.
The council also operates a small "on demand" service called HertsLynx, which provides bookable journeys.
The franchising system, on the other hand, gives councils the power to decide routes, timetables and fares.
Operators would bid to run services for a fixed fee.
The government believes the result for passengers, especially those who are older or live in rural areas, will be "greater confidence that services will get them to work on time and connect them easily to town centres".
It also claimed the franchising scheme, coupled with powers provided to councils in the forthcoming Bus Services Bill, would make it more difficult for routes which are "socially necessary" to be changed or cancelled.
Liberal Democrat Zukowsky said: "We're delight to be part of this important trial.
"By having greater control over how services are planned and delivered, we can better reflect the needs of our residents and ensure that buses remain a viable, sustainable option for everyone."
The pilot project will consider network stability, service frequency and the role of existing council-owned and managed services like HertsLynx. The focus will initially be on north Hertfordshire, east Hertfordshire and Stevenage.
There is something of a cross-party consensus on franchising.
The Green party is in favour of "giving local authorities control over and funding for improved bus services".
The Liberal Democrats want to "give all local authorities greater powers and resources to franchise bus services".
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson's Conservative government unveiled its National Bus Strategy in 2021, which said it would support councils wanting to move to a franchising model.