Basildon Greener Route

A Greener Route coming to Whitmore Way!

You’ll soon notice some changes to your local bus shelters. The existing shelters are being upgraded as part of Travel Essex’s partnership with Bauer Media Outdoor.

The new and improved shelters will not only look good, but will be more sustainable, more comfortable, more accessible and something you will want to use – all designed with users in mind.

This is part of our ongoing commitment to improve your local bus network and deliver a better experience for all. The shelters will complement the brand-new electric buses that First Bus are bringing to Basildon later this year.

With many features new to Essex, these shelters will not only be a first for Whitmore Way, but in the UK too!

Why Basildon?

Essex County Council and First Bus successfully secured £4.8 million Government funding via the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) 2 scheme.

This funding is contributing towards 55 electric buses in Basildon. These new buses will be less noisy and low emission, thereby improving the local air quality. First Bus is additionally investing £25.8 million into the scheme, which will also include upgrading the Basildon bus depot.

The electric buses will enter service late 2025.

The new bus shelters form a Greener Route along Whitmore Way, offering a sustainable design with beautiful aesthetics and many being off-grid.

Programme of works

Starting from the 30 September 2025, 18 bus stops along Whitmore Way will have upgraded bus shelters as part of an exciting new project. The works have been programmed throughout Autumn 2025 and will mainly be undertaken at off peak times (9:30am until 2:30pm) to minimise any potential disruption in the area at key commuting times

The list below shows the shelter upgrade locations:

1. What are the Milestone shelters?

Milestone bus shelters are more sustainable, more comfortable and more user-friendly than any other bus shelter, the Milestone range has been designed from the ground up. The  design was informed by extensive research into passenger needs to deliver a safer, more accessible and more comfortable bus shelter for all.

2. Why was Basildon chosen for this trial?

Whitmore Way in Basildon was selected for the exciting trial of Bauer Media’s Milestone bus shelters as it is one of the busiest urban and interurban routes in Essex.  It also compliments the brand new electric buses which are entering into service in autumn 2025.

Essex County Council and First Bus secured £4.8 million Government funding via the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) 2 scheme; this funding contributed towards 55 electric buses in Basildon.  The electric buses will be less noisy and low emission, thereby improving the local air quality. First Bus also invested £25.8 million into the scheme, which will also include upgrading the Basildon bus depot.

Essex County Council are proud to have worked closely with Bauer Media, who provide our bus shelters across the county, Basildon Borough Council and First Bus.  Cleaner and quieter bus services and new, highly sustainable bus infrastructure underline out joint commitment to sustainability, improved air quality and carbon reduction.

3. How many Milestone Shelters will be added?

We are upgrading existing infrastructure along Whitmore Way with a total of 18 Milestone shelters. In total, 13 ‘Nest’ shelters and 5 ‘Roam shelters’ will be installed, three of which have energy efficient advertising screens.

You can find a full list of the locations for these new bus shelters here: Basildon Greener Route | Travel Essex

4. What are the different types of Milestone Shelter being installed?

‘Milestone Nest’

The Milestone range includes a compact two-bay design, called ‘Nest’ which is ideal for narrow spaces or lower footfall locations, providing an efficient, scalable and sustainable solution for improving public transportation services in underserved areas.

‘Milestone Roam’

This reimagined take on the classic bus shelter is a modular and scalable three-bay design which is fully configurable and compatible with current and future needs, with all the features of the future bus shelter range. The ‘Roam’ bus shelter is a stylish new look for any environment.

5.  Can I request Milestone Shelters for my local area?

The Greener Route project is a jointly funded 12 month trial between Essex County Council and Bauer Media. Over the next year, we will evaluate the trial to decide if it has achieved the desired outcomes and a decision will be taken on whether it can be made available in others parts of Essex.

6. What are the new features in the Milestone bus shelters?

By investing in greener infrastructure, we’re helping to create a safer, more accessible, greener and healthier transport network for everyone in Essex. The new Milestone bus shelters are highly innovative and have never been installed in the UK before.

Apart from being highly sustainable, Milestone shelters are designed and built in the UK and use UK supply chains to reduce carbon emissions from transportation. The new shelters have significantly reduced levels of embodied carbon and use sustainably sourced wood.

They were developed using insights from 3,200 bus users from a Transport Focus panel, including disabled people, parents, carers, and older adults.

Most of the shelters will feature off grid solar power and have green roofs, as well as for the first time in Essex trials of ‘NaviLens’ and Strut Safe at all 18 shelters, which are designed to provide enhanced safety and better information provision for bus users.

Other benefits include:

• nature-inspired design with greenery and biodiversity enhancements, including living roofs

• sustainable materials including long-lasting wood, low carbon concrete, and low carbon glass, producing 70% lower CO2e than a three-bay legacy bus shelter

• above-ground foundations for faster installation, reducing disruption to road networks and reducing shelters’ environmental impact

• enhanced passenger experience with new seating design, focused on support and comfort

• improved accessibility featuring NaviLens, an augmented reality technology enabling provision of real-time information which is more inclusive for the blind, visually impaired or neurodiverse, as well as priority seats, and back-lit timetables

• redesigned lighting utilising low energy, solar powered smart lighting for better visibility

• supporting safer journeys with What3Words and Strut Safe helpline information

7. Who paid for them and are they part of the Essex-wide Bus Shelter Contract?

This upgraded provision has been jointly funded by Bauer Media Outdoor UK and Essex County Council; with the Council’s contribution being funded from commercially generated income. They are part of the existing 10 year bus shelter contract. This includes maintenance, deep cleans and any necessary additional maintenance, such as watering the green roofs during hot weather.

8. How can I find out more about the new Milestone bus shelters?

We have produced some online information for the public, you can find that here:

https://view.ceros.com/bauer-media-outdoor/milestone/p/1

9. Are you asking for any feedback on these new shelters? If so, how can I provide my comments?

A key part of the 12 month trial will be collecting a series of metrics, and feedback from bus users and residents. We will review  feedback on the design, comfort and new features of the shelters. We will periodically gather this via survey along the route.