Six Streets mobility hub
Project update
Following the launch of the Six Streets mobility hub (a sustainable transport trial) in March 2024, we surveyed
local residents to find out what they thought. This gave us a starting point for residents’ perceptions of the scheme. The report can be viewed here (opens in a new window).
What is a mobility hub?
There is no agreed definition of what a mobility hub is. Hubs can be highly visible, safe and accessible spaces where you can find different ways to travel. This could range between a hub on a street corner with an electric vehicle (EV) charge point to a hub that feels like a large park and ride site, with many different ‘ride’ options. These might include new innovations in public transport which you can call on demand, or it could offer you a network of walking routes, or access to a car club, or hire of smaller low emission options like cycles. Derby may not have a public bike hire or scooter scheme now, but over time mobility hubs will cover futuristic innovations that we don’t yet know exist.
Why Six Streets?
A lot of people living in Six Streets own a car but at the same time there are quite a few who would like to change over to an EV. A consultation in 2024 about EV use in Derby, showed that 73.9% of respondents were considering buying an electric car in the next three years, but only 68.2% of these residents had access to a driveway or private off-street parking. The aim of the mobility hub therefore, was to test whether by providing the community with more options, we could encourage sustainable travel meaning residents could enjoy more low-carbon journeys even if they did not have off-street parking.
Who did you consult with prior to the launch?
In June 2022, we held a roadshow event to promote the trial of a Mobility Hub in the Six Streets area. We received some great feedback from residents which helped us to develop and improve the pilot scheme.What is at Six Streets Mobility Hub?
The Six Streets hub is spread over a few streets and offers more choice for residents. It means they have access to on-street EV charging and can hire an EV through a Car Club located in the area. Charging points were installed on Statham Street and White Street to help make the switch easier. The two dual charging points on these streets have been used over 300 times and our data shows this is increasing steadily month on month.
There are two Car Club locations on Wheeldon Avenue and Kedleston Road. The Car Club gives residents the chance to rent an electric vehicle from either of these locations on a short-term basis. Between March and July 2024, a total of 13,965 electric vehicle miles have been travelled in the Six Streets all electric Car Club vehicles. The switch to EV has saved the equivalent of 3.6 tonnes of CO2 which would have been emitted by a petrol car doing the same mileage, or six roundtrip flights to Munich.
How is the trial funded?
In 2020 Derby City and Nottingham City were successful in bidding for £16.7 million in grant funding from the Department of Transports ‘Future Transport Zones’ (FTZ) initiative to be invested in projects that improved connectivity, trailed new technology, encouraged the use of shared mobility and sustainable transport choices and built a Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform to combine various mobility options into a single, user-friendly service. FTZ funding ends in December 2025.
How long is the pilot?
The pilot will be evaluated over two years, with regular monitoring undertaken throughout this period. The findings will be reported back to the Department for Transport to help them with implementation of similar schemes elsewhere in the UK.
Who operates the charge points?
The new chargers are operated by BP Pulse. Derby City Council does not own, manage or maintain the chargers, this is the sole responsibility of BP Pulse. More information about public charging prices can be found on the BP Pulse website.
