The Scottish Government has awarded over £633,000 to support 45
e-bike projects across the country.
Through the latest round of the eBike Grant Fund, delivered
through Energy Saving Trust – schools, hospitals and community
groups will establish projects to adopt e-bikes, adaptive bikes
and e-cargo bikes as an alternative to car journeys.
For the first time, over £223,000 of this overall funding
package is enabling specific projects which directly support
key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Golspie, Cycling UK Scotland will work with key workers
including NHS staff, carers, shop workers, service providers,
and local businesses to provide access through a new pool of 8
e-bikes. In Glasgow and Edinburgh, Simon Community Scotland is
being provided with a grant of almost £16,000 to support their
outreach work in helping vulnerable people through the
assistance of e-bikes.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and
Connectivity
said:
“In our latest round of funding for e-bikes I’m delighted that
more organisations will be able to assist communities and key
workers in discovering the benefits of what modern e-bikes can
bring.
“To help keep the country moving during the COVID-19 pandemic,
we’ve targeted some of this funding to support key and
essential workers. As we work to build an Active Nation and
ensure Scotland’s green recovery, I want to see more of our key
workers becoming ambassadors for more sustainable travel. Many
people have discovered new ways of travelling over lockdown and
we want to support this and see it continue right across the
country.
“I ride an e-bike – and it’s completely transformed what I
thought was possible on two wheels. I’m pleased that with this
funding more people and communities will discover how e-bikes
and e-cargo bikes can meet their transport needs whilst
improving Scotland’s air quality, health and sense of
well-being.
Ellie Grebenik, Senior Programme Manager at Energy
Saving Trust said: “It is excellent to see the range
of successful projects in the 2020/21 round of the eBike Grant
Fund, including the 12 projects receiving funding to support
key workers who are commuting during the current pandemic.
These projects will provide communities across Scotland with
greater access to active, sustainable travel and will be a key
part of Scotland’s ambitions to address the effects of climate
change and its transition to net zero carbon emissions. It is
particularly encouraging to see the range of adapted bikes
being provided as part of the funding that will help to remove
barriers and make cycling more accessible to Scottish
communities. We look forward to working with the successful
organisations and helping them to achieve their projects’
potential.”
Hugh Hill, Director of Services and Development at
Simon Community Scotland & Streetwork said:
“We were delighted to receive the support of
Transport Scotland and Energy Saving Trust in providing a small
fleet of e-bikes to frontline workers. More than ever we need
to look after our mental and physical health and cycling, even
powered, can absolutely do both. We hope to build on this
initiative supporting, encouraging and enabling more people to
take up cycling as a way of life and a means of transport.”
A full list of awarded projects is available on the Energy
Saving Trust website: https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/ebike-grant-fund/.
