Provide funding for electric vehicles for community transport
Transport Scotland and local government should scale-up funding for local community organisations and projects to purchase electric vehicles, decarbonise their fleets and empower local people to take climate action.
Community transport is always for a social purpose and never for a profit. Over 180 charities, community groups and social enterprises are delivering accessible and sustainable transport services and projects in urban, rural and island communities across Scotland where the public transport system has failed. Community-owned buses, minibuses, shared cars and shared bikes are empowering local people to change behaviours, reduce emissions and reduce private car use.
Despite challenging times and an historic lack of investment, the Community Transport sector is leading the way– 18% of the sector’s national fleet is now electric, up from 12% in 2021 and compared to just 2% of all road vehicles. However, higher upfront capital costs of EVs are prohibitive for most small operators. Recent estimates suggest a ‘net zero funding gap’ of around £84m. The Scottish Government should extend and expand the Plugged-In Communities Grant Fund alongside other initiatives to close this gap.
The UK Labour Government have re-instated the 2030 deadline for a ban the sales of petrol and diesel cars although the Scottish Government has not said how this will alter transport policies in Scotland.
This policy helps make sure that older people, disabled people, rural communities and low-income households are not left behind on Scotland’s journey to net zero.
For further information:
‘CTA Leads Coalition Calling for More Plugged-In Communities’, Community Transport Association, 2024: https://ctauk.org/cta-leads-coalition-calling-for-more-plugged-in-communities/
Act Local: Community Transport, Climate Action and Scotland’s Just Transition to Net Zero, Community Transport Association, 2023: https://ctauk.org/act-local-report/
