Innovative, smart bus shelters to be introduced in Worcester, UK

Aerial view of Worcester, UK.

The UK’s most advanced bus shelters will soon be a part of a new green transport corridor in Worcester, with the first shelter to be installed in Cathedral Square.

Worcester City Council has become the first local authority in the country to place orders for a new type of bus shelter, which breaks the mould in shelter design when it comes to sustainability, accessibility and technology.

With real time passenger information both in and on the shelter, and a large interactive display, the smart hub will give travellers all of the information that they need for their journey. Smart lighting, integrated CCTV, graffiti-resistant materials and an antibacterial coating will also provide passengers with new levels of safety and security.

Each hub boasts significant sustainable technology, designed to support Worcester’s net zero and aggregated power policy. Part-powered by two solar panels and a vertical wind turbine, they are made from recycled bottles and can be completely recycled at the end of their life.

Credit: 21st Century Technology

The shelter in Cathedral Square will also include a bee- and insect-friendly sedum roof, absorbing carbon from the city’s busy streets, and will promote active travel alternatives with smart bike and scooter racks.

Councillor Alan Amos, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Highways and Transport at Worcestershire City Council, said: “We’re really proud to be leading the way with this sort of technology on our transport network. These smart shelters will act as hubs across the county and will feature technology designed to promote public transport and demonstrate that it is a clean, safe and sustainable way to travel. The shelters also contribute to our environmental initiatives, with the one in Worcester featuring a sedum roof to attract pollinators. I look forward to seeing the shelters installed and being used.”