New mobility hub will help to create 20-minute neighbourhoods in Scotland

Scotland is set to introduce European-style ‘mobility hubs’ that bring various forms of transport together in one place. 

The bubs will bring together public transport stops for buses, trams and trains with bike-share schemes, car clubs, e-scooters and electric vehicle (EV) charging points, as well as community facilities such as cafes and green space. 

Mobility hubs of this kind are particularly common in Germany and Austria and are often seen as a way of revitalising city centres. 

It is hoped that these new hubs will contribute to Scotlands goal of creating ’20 minute neighbourhoods’ which enable people to live, learn and meet their needs within a 20-minute walk of their home. 

Shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) will work with the Scottish Government on guidance and framework as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

Lorna Finlayson, Scotland director of CoMoUK, said: ‘There have never been so many pressing reasons why we need to rethink how we move and allocate street space to travel – from addressing air quality problems, decarbonisation of the transport sector, supporting the active travel agenda, decongesting and revitalising city centres and helping local businesses.

‘The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we move around, and it’s vital that as we recover we properly manage space for public transport and shared mobility modes as an alternative to private cars.

‘Public transport is the original shared mode, however, the lines between public and shared transport are blurring — there are many new shared modes from bike share schemes to car clubs which are changing behaviour and user needs.
“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to introduce mobility hubs here and learn from our European neighbours how to transform the way we get around our cities.’

In related news, Scotland has met legal limits for air pollution for the first time since legal limits came into force in 2010, according to analysis conducted by Friends of the Earth Scotland.

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