Advancing the concept of car-bus interchange in the United Kingdom

The UK offers 40 years of experience with a model of car-bus intermodality that has become a popular policy option. This concept, with interchange sites located close to their host cities and served by dedicated buses, has changed very little despite concerns that it may have a detrimental effect on car use. The aim of this paper is to consider the impact of current interchange schemes and propose a number of alternative concepts for car-bus interchange, primarily by adjusting interchange site location and bus operation. The impacts of such concepts on car use are then modelled. The results suggest that while current intermodality generally increases car use, considerable relative benefits can be derived from the alternatives.