£2.4 million of funding is set to be spent of a ‘City Zipper’ project to deliver electric buses and an improve service for passengers in Hereford city.
As part of the Stronger Hereford funding, that delivered £22.4 million of government funding for fifteen projects in Hereford, the City Zipper project will see the Stronger Towns Fund support four electric buses including energy supply, design and marketing, training, bus stops and shelters plus real time information.
Hereford “City Zipper” is an electric bus service connecting Hereford’s transport hubs with its cultural, retail and hospitality quarters as well as the city’s principal health facilities.
The “City Zipper’s” aim is to showcase quality zero emission public transport which, through its accessibility and convenience, will encourage people not to use their cars when accessing the core of the city. A ‘frequest’, turn up and go service will minimise the need for users to consult a timetable.
The service will be for a diverse ridership: residents (as 75% of trips into town are from other parts of Hereford), scholars and students, visitors seeking out the cultural sites, and those accessing retail and hospitality venues. A person arriving on a rural or inter-urban bus would find it easy to interchange for the hospital, saving time and avoiding parking hassle.
Visitors arriving by train would hop on and off the service to reach attractions, shops, inns and cafés in different parts of the city.
By targeting several markets the service will not only deliver real social value but also increase footfall and visitor spending without contributing to congestion and C02 emissions. The bus service’s bespoke brand will promote the city’s core values and heritage on its vehicles, in its literature and through its city stops.
Driver training will include a thorough knowledge of the city and customer care. The “City Zipper” will be part of the welcome, adding to the urban fabric of Hereford.
The route is expected to include the Station Medical Centre, Hereford Transport Hub and Railway Station, student accommodation, County Hospital, the Country and City Bus Stations, the Town Hall, St Owen Street (for Castle Green and Riverside), Maylord Shopping Centre, High Town, Broad Street (for cathedral and library), Hereford leisure pool and Old Market retail complex.
