Workforce mobility pROJECT
Edinburgh & South East Scotland City Region Deal is the first in Scotland to incorporate a project that acknowledges the role transport plays in supporting employment, training and education. The project aims to work across sectors to improve communication, and the effectiveness of local transport to support the ambitions of the IRES programme and the Regional Prosperity Framework.
Through early engagement with partners it is evident that transport barriers in Edinburgh & South East Scotland are not solely related to affordability. A number of other factors have contributed to barriers in the transport system, such as:
Patronage decline on the bus network since 2010,
5% of the population not connected to the public transport system, peaking at 9% in the Scottish Borders
The majority of the City Deal region in medium and high transport poverty (SEStrans RTS Main Issues Report 2020)
There is a need for more partnership working within the sector and across transport modes for better integration
Multiple points of travel information create difficulty engaging with public transport
A plethora of ticketing structures/subsidies/concessions make it difficult to ensure value for money
The lack of data sharing and information about latent demand to support route optimisation for Operators and Transport Planners is resulting in lost opportunities.
All of these elements have led to multiple barriers that include affordability, accessibility, complexity, integration and declining service provisions. Full details and analysis provided in the Workforce Mobility Final Baseline Report August 2022 [PDF, 3.07MB]
The first phase of the Workforce Mobility Project, to be complete in March 2024, is focused on working with partners to improve bus services through the use of demand data from the existing commuting workforce (not currently using public transport). This data will be collected and analysed to provide the opportunity to optimise the public transport network, and cater for a new demand that supports a viable alternative to the private car in many circumstances. This data will support greater commercial viability across the whole network, and could enable service provision to be increased that supports access for the project’s target groups in a sustainable way. Access to more travel information can also provide evidence to support transport infrastructure investment, planning of future housing and development sites for business investment.
A modal shift to public transport will not be achieved with just the provision of new services, there needs to be reasons to change long term habits, so the project team will also work with participating employers to identify incentives for employees to engage with the new transport options.
This phase will also support the national objectives of Net Zero, the reduction of inequalities, support improvements to health & wellbeing and community wealth building.
In parallel with this initiative the project is developing activities in relation to:
National/Regional/Local policy review to understand the impact of changing legislations on transport barriers. This includes the participation in the development of new policies as a stakeholder and co-author
Creating online tools for employers to develop green travel plans and supply travel pattern data to Local Authorities
Use the data collected/analysed to support policy and investment in supporting infrastructure to improve regional connectivity
Develop the bike carrying capacity on public transport to support improved integration, especially in rural areas
Provide support to Local Authority partners to submit funding bids for initiatives that reduce transport barriers across the region
Work with DVSA to reduce the waiting times for driving theory test
Look at options to simplify travel information and ticketing
Online tools to quickly and efficiently identify employment and training opportunities with sustainable transport provisions in place
Digital Brochure
The Workforce Mobility has developed a digital brochure which communicates the most important details about the project and its outputs.,
Download the brochure in PDF format [PDF, 2.49MB]
Bus Driver Recruitment Campaign
A cross-region campaign to encourage people to consider a career as a bus driver was launched on the 20th June 2023. Find out more at www.busdrivercareers.scot
A Sustainable Travel Employer Initiatives Funding and Tax Incentives
A Sustainable Travel Employer Initiatives Funding and Tax Incentives document was published in June 2023. This document details a set of measures and information to support employers in the promotion and investment in active and sustainable commuting of their employees. It contains detailed guidance on Fiscal Incentives and capital allowances available to employers for investment in infrastructure that supports more walking and cycling to work, and greater use of public transport by employees. This information will be updated each tax year and should be used as guidance only.
Download the Sustainable Travel Employer Initiatives Funding and Tax Incentives document [PDF, 616KB]
Bikes on Buses Performance Review and Recommendations
The Workforce Mobility Project has conducted both primary and secondary research into existing bicycle friendly bus services in the UK and detailed its findings in The Bikes on Buses Performance Review & Recommendations Final Report. The purpose of the report is to identify bicycle friendly bus services in the UK, existing bicycle storage solutions for buses, promote best practice for future schemes, highlight the role as a rural transport solution and to understand if there is value in initiating further work (as part of a project) to increase capacity of bicycle friendly buses (and their usage) in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region.
Download the Bikes on Buses Performance Review and Recommendations report (November 2023) [PDF, 1.4MB]
Project Lead: Ewan Doyle, Scottish Borders Council
