Nottingham City Council to earn millions from adverts at upgraded bus shelters

Free Wi-Fi will be rolled out at hundreds of Nottingham bus shelters as the city council agrees a new contract which could earn it £6 million in advertising money. All 800 Nottingham bus shelters will be refurbished and rebranded with 'Robin Hood Network' imagery.

Air quality monitoring and LED lighting are among the other features that will be introduced at the sites. The key change, though, is the advertising available to companies.

Over 200 Nottingham bus shelters currently have advertising, but none of them feature the modern digital billboards now favoured by companies. All of them instead involve posters having to be physically installed, something which the city council has said is "laborious."

Do you think buses should be prioritised on Nottingham's roads? Let us know here

The Labour-run council has now agreed a new 15-year contract with JCDecaux, which will see 30 digital free-standing units and 75 digital bus shelter screens being available for advertisers. Paper poster sites will remain at most sites, but the rollout of dozens of digital screens is something the city council previously said could generate £6 million of revenue over the next 15 years.

Councillor Neghat Khan, Nottingham City Council's leader, said: "Congratulations to JCDecaux on getting this contract after a thorough tender process. We've worked with them in Nottingham for many years and look forward to continuing this partnership.

"It's important that the bus stops and shelters in Nottingham are well-maintained and use the latest technology. The digital screens in the city centre provide advertising space for local and national companies, which also brings in extra income for the council."

The new contract begins in January 2025 and will see all bus shelters being refurbished rather than replaced. Phil Drye, Chief Commercial Development Officer at JCDecaux UK said: "Nottingham is a dynamic city and we are very proud that Nottingham City Council has again placed its trust in JCDecaux UK, continuing our relationship that spans over 20 years.

"Our bus shelters are designed with high-quality materials and maintained and cleaned to the highest standards. We are looking forward to delivering this new contract for Nottingham City Council and local residents, which will include digital screens and 'smart city' technology to bring innovative public services to the city." Locations for the new digital screen network will include Carrington Street, Clumber Street, Lister Gate and Milton Street.