Taunton Transport Hub

In October 2021, Somerset County Council published the Somerset Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). The plan sets out how Somerset Council will work together with local bus service operators and other key stakeholders to deliver radically improved bus services and growth in bus use as part of a wider integrated sustainable transport network.

Stakeholder engagement showed that since Taunton bus station closed, users have been unhappy about the current provision of bus stops and bus provision. In response, the BSIP aims for a more extensive and frequent network of services alongside improved infrastructure and coordination between bus services and other modes. The BSIP also sets out an objective for a comfortable network with improved facilities to ensure a more compelling and safe waiting environment for passengers.

This project, to reinstall the bus station in Taunton as a Transport Hub, falls under part of Somerset Council's BSIP program to improve bus services in the region.

The most important function of the Transport Hub will be to provide solutions to the mobility needs of its users. However, there are a wide variety of functions that the Council will seek to introduce to the Hub to create positive benefits in the wider area and to future proof the site for population growth. To support the DfT's strategic objectives, the vision is for the new Hub in Taunton to include:

• Mobility Services;
• Mobility Infrastructure;
• Traveller facilities;
• Place-making functions;
• Commercial functions;
• Community Functions; and
• Operational Resources

Within this central aim, the project seeks to incorporate the Department for Transport's (DfT's) wider strategic objectives, which are:

• Grow the Economy:
• Improve connectivity into and within Taunton;
• Improve Transport for the User: making user journeys and experiences of travelling in and around Taunton more positive;
• Reduce Environmental Impacts: Bringing a range of services into the Hub will help the drive towards Net Zero targets by reducing the number of journeys around the region

The vision supports a range of different transport modes and people, with the focus being pedestrians and wheelchair users all the way to taxi services. Whilst recognising the central role of the Hub as a transport interchange, putting people first is at the heart of the new Hub designs. Focussing on a human-centred approach means that the Hub design can offer people, rather than vehicles, a welcoming and helpful environment. Additionally, the historic nature of the site means there is a drive to create something that fits in with the surrounding area, and this is better done through a human-centric approach than a vehicle-centric approach.