The bus remains a very efficient mode of transport, and will have a role to play in a decarbonised future as it can provide travel opportunities for all.
Technology is providing new options to utilise Buses.
Two examples are showing how Buses can be more dynamically routed, usually using mini buses to complement classic bus services.
This is a digital on demand bus service, known as a Demand Responsive Transport solution, that is available in Mole Valley for everyone. It also serves a number of locations outside of Mole Valley. It is a safe and reliable bus sharing service that will connect you to your local community. The service expanded to the south of Mole Valley in May 2023.
Last year, the electric mini-bus service launched in the north of Mole Valley and has proven very popular with over 11,600 trips being made by passengers.
The service is based on a electronic platform matching demand to users supplied by PADAM Mobility a French technology partner which is supporting around 100 Demand Responsive Transport Schemes in Europe. Over 4 Million bookings have been handled in 4-5 years.
A company working in partnership with Volkswagen to ultimartely develop an autonomous, scaleable ride pooling system. The first services started in Hamburg in 2015.
The benefits of autonomous ride pooling are claimed as
As well as the obvious technological and legal challenges, MOIA are very aware they need to overcome the issues with acceptance with users.
A initial roll out of a non-autonomous version of the system has been implemented in Hamburg and Hannover. This uses mini-vans called by a Smart Phone App. The mini-vans are dynamically allocated in a manner similar to UBER. The vans are able to use bus stops for pick up and set down as well as any other reasonable stopping place.
The MOIA picks you up at a stop near you (for speed it doesn’t always come to your door) - and the app guides you there. The app also shows you the pick-up and journey time, the virtual stops, the duration of the walk and the vehicle number three minutes before departure. A screen in the MOIA van shows you when you have reached your exit point.
The system has now handled nearly 7 Million trips since its launch in Hamburg. Many of the vans are now electric and making the vans autonomous is the next major step.
Many cities and Towns successfully manage Buses (and Trams) interacting with pedestrians and cyclists along so called bus boulevards. Swindon is removing its central Bus Station and switching to a Boulevarde concept. Exeter has redeveloped its bus station which is on the edge of the central city area to provide 12 stands, in addition many of the buses travel through the main streets of the city mixing with Pedestrians proviing the opportunity to use the bus services across the central area.
As we manage Global Warming effective bus services will become more important. We may see many more smaller buses in use to provide a wider range of services. Note it is possible these smaller buses will interact with transport nodes e.g. Rail Services or Park and ride Services and won’t necessarily come to the centre of the town.
Buses will switch to either Hydrogen or straight electrical power. This will require new refuelling facilities, including for pure electric buses opportunity charging. Alternative fuel buses have the major advantage of being non-polluting in use and quieter. (Note that existing buses can be converted to electrical power using a conversion kit with suppliers claiming it can cost as little as 20% of the cost of a new bus)
Like other transportation Buses are changing to new power sources. Surrey County council are proposing an aggresive timetable to remove deisel buses. Buses can be powered by Battery Power (like the Park and Ride Buses in service), Hydrogen, or Overhead Cables (the Trolley bus is the most efficient power system for buses once the wired are up). Hydrogen is a viable source but depends on the Hydrogen being created from green energy sources to be environmentally benign, and in overall terms is inefficient. May have a role for long distance buses.
One issue is that Battery Buses may require opportunity charging to top up during the day. This has two advantages increasing operational range during working hours, and reducing bus weight as batteries which with current technology are heavy can be reduced with gains in efficiency.
Bus Stations and Stops where Buses wait for extended periods need to be modified or designed to allow for charging infrastructure.
There has been considerable debate about the location of the Guildford Bus Station. This has culminated with a decision to keep the bus station in its current location with all buses entering and exiting from the North. This proposal has caused considerable debate not least between GBC and SCC who have raised several concerns. The whole debate is likely to be revisited if the planned appeal on the refusal of the North Street Scheme goes ahead.
There are potentially three bus stations in Guildford.
1/ Guildford Town Centre (at the Friary)
2/ East side of the station.
Six Bus Stands are proposed as part of the Solum Scheme. How these Bus Stands are used by exisiting services is not defined.
3/ West Side of the Station
There have been a number of proposals to have better bus facilities on the west side of the station combined with a upgrade to the west side entrance of the station.
Solum developers of the east side proposed a redeveloped west side in outline, more recently the ‘Shaping Guildford’s future’ study has proposed a bus interchange. The west side of the station is covered by policy A11 (See More Here), and a recent planning application has been submitted to redevelop No1 Farnham Road.
The society considers that Surrey Councty Council, and Guildford Borough Council needs to think through Bus Services considering the above trends, and possible plans.
One scenario could be that:
The potential use of the bus stations could be optimised for example:
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