Description
Green Passenger Transport in Rural Areas (G-PaTRA). HITRANS were project partners and worked with lead partner RGU to accelerate the use of zero emission vehicles and vessels in public transport. Transport in remote, rural and island areas is CO2 intensive and car dependent, with public transport being relatively ineffective. Subsidies for high cost, low usage public transport are unsustainable, which means that services are being withdrawn and people increasingly depend on cars. Unique territorial challenges in the North Sea Region, such as low density populations and long journey times, are what brought the partners of the G-PaTRA project together. They promoted green transport and mobility by enhancing the capacity of authorities to reduce CO2 from personal transport.
Website: northsearegion.eu/g-patra/
Programme: Interreg North Sea Region (NSR)
HITRANS activities:
- HITRANS piloted an electric bus in rural Morayshire with Moray Council for 30 months
- An evaluation of the pilot & associated carbon reduction emissions was undertaken using results from a metric spreadsheet, capturing passenger numbers, total KM travelled, charge point use and any operational issues
- A report on the business case for battery-powered trains from Wick-Thurso was produced and is available on the HITRANS website
- HITRANS launched e-bike pilots in Aviemore, Grantown-on Spey and Fort William, with bikes being offered to key workers as a means of transportation during the Covid-19 pandemic