Proposals for an electric bus corridor between the two authorities could be about to leap forward.
Gloucestershire County Council has proposed to earmark £1.2million next week to bolster delivery of the scheme which would see specialised vehicles depart every 10 minutes. New priority lanes and ‘demand responsive hubs’ could also be introduced to connect rural areas.
It is hoped this would provide a ‘realistic’ alternative to longer car journeys in the region, reducing congestion and helping with emissions reduction targets. Phased construction could begin in 2027, with completion and operation commencing before 2030.
On Monday 3rd November, the council’s cabinet will decide whether to appoint WSP U Ltd. to draw up a business case and early scheme development programme. This would include both £1million from a Community Levy Infrastructure funding and £250,000 from the authority’s budget.
To date, £900,000 has already been spent on producing a strategic outline case, with business case development costing £650,000 earlier this year. Overall, deliver is expected to run to £6million over the next three years.
‘MRT will improve the overall connectivity and efficiency of the transport network, moving more people more quickly on key corridors, enabling growth and better connecting key areas of economic activity to increase productivity,’ said a report on the project. ‘The project has the potential to be central to meeting the area’s current and future housing and jobs needs in a sustainable manner.’
Image: Sophie Popplewell / Unsplash
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