Shared transport in the suburbs

Our final session of the day explored the topic of shared transport in the suburbs. As noted by our chair Elly Baker, London Assembly Member and chair of the transport committee, suburban areas face some unique transport challenges. These include the longer travel distances, more spread out services, and a reliance on radial transport networks. Shared transport options can help to address each of these.

We first heard from Bob Brunton and Steve Wood about the partnership approach to the Enterprise car club service in the City of Edinburgh. Edinburgh has a successful scheme, with over 7,000 members and 200 low carbon vehicles. The City Mobility Plan creates a supportive policy environment for car clubs, giving a clear strategic direction to expand the car club into a greater number of suburban and periphery locations. There is also a planning requirement to install EV charging infrastructure in new builds, which has supported the rates of EV car club provision.

Attendees then heard from Johannes Rodenbach from Way to Go about the success factors behind shared mobility in Belgium. Three pillars of activity have helped to create a growing network of car clubs, mobility hubs and shared micromobility. As with Edinburgh, there is a supportive policy framework, including Shared Mobility Action Plans at the municipality level. Second, this policy is backed up by the right financial incentives, including minimal revenue guarantees for operators until a breakeven point is reached. Finally, a focus on quality communications and timely engagement in the community supports the adoption of available modes. There is now at least one shared car in 92% of municipalities, and 24 shared bikes per 10,000 inhabitants.

James Scott, Transport Strategy Officer at Transport for Greater Manchester, shared insights on the changing transport needs of Manchester City Centre. The population of the City Centre has boomed from 500 people in 1990 to 75,000 in 2025. The area is no longer just a destination, but also an important transport interchange and place to live. While there has been significant focus on the Bee Network, there is a great opportunity to expand the shared mobility offer across the entire City Region. The case study of Stockport shows the mutual benefits of transport and regeneration activities reinforcing each other.

Finally, Robin Pointon of Go Travel Solutions shared learnings and reflections on Digital Demand Responsive Transport (DDRT) and car clubs in New Lubbesthorpe, a growing new development on the outskirts of Leicester. Similarly to other speakers, deep engagement with the community has been a core part of the approach, including employing one resident as a sustainable transport ambassador. The area previously had a DDRT service, which launched in 2019, but faced the challenge of meeting high customer expectations. There is now a fixed route bus service and a successful car club offer that became financially self-sustaining last year.