Hull City Council has launched a smart travel rewards application that gives residents, workers and students incentives for walking, cycling and using public transport.
The Hull BetterPoints app officially launched publicly on September 2, 2026, after the council completed an internal staff pilot. The free platform converts eligible sustainable journeys into points that users can exchange for shopping vouchers, donate to charities or use for prize draws.
The scheme aims to reduce dependence on single-occupancy cars while encouraging healthier travel habits. It could also create cleaner and more accessible streets for people exploring Hull’s waterfront, cultural attractions, retail areas and hospitality businesses.
Funding for the £38,000 programme came from Active Travel England. Therefore, the project does not depend on the council’s core local taxation budget.
Anyone who lives, works or studies in Hull can register. The eligibility criteria mean the scheme primarily targets people making regular journeys within the city rather than occasional leisure visitors.
Everyday trips become digital rewards
Users earn points when they complete eligible walks, cycling journeys or local trips by public transport.
The scheme includes travel for employment, education, shopping, leisure and other routine purposes. It also recognises wheeling, supporting people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices for active journeys.
Smartphone location and movement technology can identify qualifying travel. This reduces the need for users to record each journey manually and makes participation easier during everyday routines.
Earned points are stored as digital currency within the application. Users can redeem them for vouchers with high-street businesses, local independent traders and online retailers.
Available reward options include brands such as Tesco, Costa and Amazon. However, independent Hull businesses can also participate, helping connect greener transport choices with spending inside the local economy.
Users may alternatively donate their rewards to charities. Options include Marie Curie, the RNLI and Dogs Trust, alongside organisations such as WISHH Hull Hospitals Charity, The Health Tree Foundation and The Deep.
Positive incentives encourage travel change
The programme uses rewards rather than penalties to influence travel behaviour.
“BetterPoints is a really simple idea,” Hull City Council’s transport and infrastructure portfolio holder, Councillor Mark Ieronimo, said.
“You can earn rewards or support charities just by walking, cycling or using public transport, whether that be for work, leisure or for trips locally. Even changing one journey a week will earn you points.”
This approach applies behavioural incentives to journeys that residents already make. A person does not need to abandon private car use completely to participate.
Instead, the scheme encourages small, repeatable decisions. Replacing one short car journey each week with walking, cycling or a bus trip can gradually establish a different travel habit.
Regular prizes provide additional motivation. The September launch includes a European city break prize draw, linking local sustainable travel choices with a wider leisure travel reward.
Cleaner mobility supports Hull tourism
Although the rewards target people connected with Hull through residence, employment or education, the resulting changes can also benefit visitors.
Lower traffic volumes can reduce noise, carbon emissions and pressure on busy roads. Meanwhile, more attractive walking and cycling conditions can improve access between transport hubs, accommodation, restaurants and attractions.
Hull’s Old Town, Marina and Humber Street are among the areas that could benefit from better sustainable connectivity. September bus service improvements have also introduced new links to these destinations.
Cities that make walking and public transport straightforward can encourage visitors to explore beyond a single attraction. This may create additional opportunities for cafés, shops and cultural venues along local routes.
Cleaner public spaces also influence destination reputation. Visitors experience a city through its streets and transport systems long before evaluating individual attractions.
Travel data may guide future investment
BetterPoints can provide anonymised information about movement patterns across Hull.
The data may help identify heavily used walking and cycling routes or areas where sustainable connections remain weak. Such evidence can support future decisions involving crossings, cycle infrastructure and transport investment.
For tourism planning, movement data can also indicate how people travel between commercial areas, neighbourhoods and major destinations.
However, the scheme’s long-term value will depend on sustained participation. Short-term downloads alone will not confirm whether users permanently change their travel habits.
The council will need to assess journey frequency, repeat engagement and any measurable movement away from private cars.
Launch supports national travel campaigns
The public introduction coincides with Modeshift Month and Catch the Bus Month, two national campaigns promoting sustainable transport.
Jack Windle, chief sustainable transport officer at BetterPoints, said the organisation looked forward to rewarding Hull residents for changing their travel choices and observing the effect across the city.
The timing gives Hull’s project wider visibility while the city continues investing in more sustainable transport. A new fleet of electric buses also entered service during August.
Together, these developments combine physical improvements with behavioural incentives. Infrastructure provides greener transport options, while the application gives people another reason to use them.
Hull’s BetterPoints programme demonstrates how digital technology can support practical sustainability goals without restricting travel. If participation grows, the app could help create healthier communities, stronger local spending and a cleaner urban experience for everyone using the city.
For more travel news like this, keep reading Global Travel Wire
