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Urban freighter
Image credit: Voi
Future Transport Zone

What is the Future Transport Zone?

The Future Transport Zone is built upon an approach of trialling new interventions in the West of England, incorporating the best solutions into the region’s wider transport plans when future funding becomes available.

We have received £24.4 million from the Department for Transport to deliver this programme of investment in our region and the Combined Authority will also invest a further £3.65 million. The programme runs from July 2020 to March 2024.

The Future Transport Zone is built upon an approach of trialling new interventions to find the best travel solutions.

Future Transport Zone

Public E-Scooters

For people who don’t live close to a frequent bus route, starting or ending a journey with a long walk, or potentially a long wait if you miss a bus can discourage use of public transport.

Public e-scooters allow people to complete those first or last miles with ease, extending the catchment area of public transport and putting metrobus and MetroWest services within the reach of more people.

The current West of England e-scooter hire network is one of the most well used in Europe, and the government-supported trial has been extended until May 2024.

Find out more about the e-scooter trial

Future Transport Zone

Mobility Hubs

By bringing different transport services together at our one-stop trial Mobility Hub sites, we intend to make it easier for people to switch between modes such as bus, bicycle and e-scooter.

Our trial sites will be quickly implemented and through local engagement we will seek to make the urban spaces around the mobility hubs more attractive and accessible to everyone.

Find out more about mobility hubs

Future Transport Zone

Dynamic Demand Responsive Transport

Many people are dependent on car ownership for getting to work. This means that non-drivers or those who can’t afford a car often end up with limited employment opportunities.

Dynamic Demand-Responsive Transport puts passengers in control of when and where they travel, through small capacity but highly flexible bus services to help people access jobs, leisure and education.

We will be running trial services in areas where people currently have difficulty getting around.

Future Transport Zone

Next generation app

A new mobile app will integrate journey planning tools with payment and ticketing, enabling travellers to plan, pay for and undertake end to end journeys within a single platform.

This one-stop-shop will include all types of transport, significantly increasing the convenience of multi-mode journeys.

Future Transport Zone

Sustainable Urban Freight Project

Transport isn’t just about moving people, but also goods and services to customers. Businesses in the region are already embracing the benefits of e-cargo bikes, and we are building on this with our own urban freight trials under the Future Transport Zone programme.

Starting with trials of e-cargo bikes at sites such as hospitals and universities, followed by further trials for our city centres, we will look at efficiency and carbon savings over existing delivery methods and their ability to reduce congestion and pollution.

Discover sustainable urban freight

The Future Transport Zone will test scalable solutions that deliver value for the West of England and provide learning for the region, the Department for Transport and the transport industry as a whole.