‘Super’ bus shelter unveiled in Manchester

(L-R) Councillor Andrew Fender - Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee; Peter Saville; Marc Aurel – AUREL Design Urbain

A high-tech, state-of-the-art bus shelter is currently being piloted in Manchester city centre to improve the passenger experience and enhance perceptions of public transport.

(L-R) Councillor Andrew Fender – Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee; Peter Saville; Marc Aurel – AUREL Design Urbain

A new bus shelter, like no other in the UK, has been installed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to encourage use of public transport and create a more attractive public space on Piccadilly in Central Manchester.

State-of-the-art bus shelter provides free charging points for mobile devices and WiFi

Funded entirely by government grant and developed by TfGM, along with JCDecaux and RATP, the ‘super’ bus shelter allows passengers to charge their phones and access free Wi-Fi whilst waiting for their bus to arrive. The shelter also provides news, travel and city information via digital touchscreens.

(L-R) Peter Saville; Councillor Andrew Fender – Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee; Howard Hartley – Head of Bus, TfGM; Jon Lamonte – Chief Executive Officer, TfGM; Marc Aurel – AUREL Design Urbain

Furthermore, the high specification shelter creates a more attractive public space by using different materials and lighting as well as a wider roof, for greater protection from the elements, which has been planted to absorb pollution and provide an attractive green view for people looking down on the shelter from nearby buildings and from double-decker buses.

The £300,000 pilot scheme aims to reduce carbon emissions, congestion and pollution and help increase active travel in the city.

Commenting on the installation of the shelter, which entered operation on the 11 September, Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said: “This is a really exciting and unique scheme for Manchester as this pilot shelter is the first of its kind in the UK.

“One of our key aims is to provide an improved public transport network that encourages more people to choose sustainable and more environmentally friendly ways to travel – especially in the city centre.

“Research indicates that improved public transport environments – with technology built in – encourage more people to use them and that’s what we’re testing out here.

”We’ll be asking people who use this bus stop for their views over the coming weeks and more new services and facilities could be trialled here.”

Helena Kavanagh Managing Director – Street Furniture at JCDecaux UK, said: “As transforming cities has always been within JCDecaux’s ethos, it’s been a privilege to work with Transport for Greater Manchester on this project.

“Bus shelters can do so much more than simply protect waiting passengers from the elements, and with the technological means now at our disposal they can become an integral part of tomorrow’s connected cities, harnessing technology to make shared environments safer, smarter and more environmentally friendly.”

The shelter is a £300,000 pilot scheme which has been entirely funded by the Department for Transport from a ring-fenced capital grant with the aim of reducing carbon emissions, congestion and pollution and increase active travel.