How AECOM Is Shaping National Guidance For Safer Bus Stops

Bus stopping places sit at the heart of everyday journeys, yet the guidance governing their design and safety has long been fragmented across multiple documents. 

A consortium of AECOM, Arup and Campaign for Better Transport has been appointed by the Department for Transport to change that, producing a single national resource for local authorities, combined authorities and operators. 

Underpinned by provisions in the Bus Services Act, the guidance aims to raise standards consistently across England, giving infrastructure planners and designers a clearer framework to work from when delivering stopping places that serve all users.

Why consistency matters now

For construction and infrastructure leaders, dispersed guidance has historically meant duplicated effort and inconsistent outcomes when delivering bus stop schemes across different local authority areas. 

A single, statutory-backed reference point is intended to reduce that variability, giving contractors and designers a shared baseline for safety and accessibility standards on future projects.

“Everyone should be able to access bus services safely, independently and with confidence,” says Liani Baglietto, Project Manager at Arup. “This guidance will provide a more consistent foundation for decision-making, supporting relevant authorities to deliver and manage stopping places that are safe, accessible and inclusive, while responding to local needs and circumstances.”

What the guidance will cover

The consortium's work will draw on extensive stakeholder engagement to capture the practical realities faced by planners, designers and passengers alike. Key areas expected to shape the final document include:

• Establishing consistent safety and accessibility standards for stopping infrastructure
• Bringing together dispersed good practice into a single reference source
• Reflecting requirements introduced under the Bus Services Act
• Supporting local authorities and operators in planning and delivery decisions
• Addressing barriers to bus travel identified through sector research

“AECOM is delighted to work with Arup and Campaign for Better Transport to develop this new guidance,” says Christian Bodé, Technical Lead at AECOM. “Engagement with stakeholders will be our priority – to fully understand the needs of users, operators, planners and designers. We want to improve safety and user experience, address barriers to travel, and provide a framework for the delivery of best practice applicable in all environments.”

Delivering for communities and industry

Beyond technical compliance, the guidance is framed around improving the everyday experience of bus travel, particularly for passengers who face the greatest barriers to independent movement.

Campaign for Better Transport brings a distinct dimension to the partnership, having already carried out substantial independent research into bus stop infrastructure standards. 

Its earlier findings underline why the sector has been pushing for reform, with the organisation noting that accessible, well-maintained stops are central to encouraging greater bus use.

AECOM's key partners:

Arup

An engineering consultancy, it has played a long-standing role in shaping the built environment for accessibility, engineering the physical structures that make everyday journeys, including bus travel, possible for the widest range of users.

Campaign for Better Transport

Campaign for Better Transport contributes years of dedicated policy research into transport equity, having pressed for a national bus stop standard well before its current appointment.

Parsons International

A digitally enabled solutions provider, Parsons International has previously partnered with AECOM on major transport infrastructure delivery, including national rail programmes in the Gulf region.

The Carbon Disclosure Project

The Carbon Disclosure Project has worked with AECOM on global sustainability reporting initiatives linked to its cities programme.

HTC

HTC has collaborated with AECOM on developing virtual reality applications for the architecture, engineering and construction sector.