West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s local growth plan prioritises inclusion, sustainability and transport connectivity, with a new bus franchising agreement due in 2027.
A better understanding of bus passenger journeys, particularly interchanges (where passengers change between buses or to a train), is needed to design public transport services that are sustainable, inclusive, convenient and support the end-to end journeys that passengers wish to make. This information is costly and challenging to obtain through traditional methods such as manual counts or passenger questionnaires.
This project will test the University of Leeds’ innovative McMatcher small-sensor technology, which uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals to estimate passenger numbers on specific bus services, including those who change to either other bus services or trains at Bradford Interchange. The technology has previously been successfully piloted in the Bradford Interchange concourse.
The research will involve temporarily installing small sensor devices on selected bus services and at entry, exit and transfer points within the interchange. The information generated will inform future developments for Bradford Interchange and the city more broadly. This will contribute towards public transport services that meet the needs of all the travelling public, are environmentally sustainable and boost the role of Bradford as a centre for culture and commerce.
This project is funded by the 2025–2026 Research England Policy Support Fund.