The Scottish Government has announced it has provided over £825,000 to support 36 innovative e-bike projects across Scotland, with projects for disabled people and rural communities leading the way.
The latest round of the eBike Grant Fund, delivered by Energy Saving Trust, has successfully delivered 216 e-bikes, 56 e-cargo bikes and 34 adapted cycles to 36 projects across the country.
This will enable communities and organisations to take advantage of e-bikes, adapted cycles and e-cargo bikes to meet local needs, whilst improving health, air quality and protecting the climate by encouraging a shift away from car journeys.
The Shapinsay Development Trust has been awarded over £16,000 for 10 new bikes to promote greener travel on the island in Orkney. The bikes will be available for rental by visitors, while residents will have free access for the project duration.
In Edinburgh, Leonard Cheshire Disability has been awarded over £19,000 for two rickshaw adapted cycles to be shared across eight services. This will offer disabled people more opportunities to keep active through accessible cycling.
Across four years of the fund, over £2.8 million has been provided to support over 170 projects across Scotland with 996 e-bikes.
Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie said: “I am delighted that our funding for e-bikes is unlocking sustainable travel options for communities across Scotland. E-bikes offer real advantages when it comes to moving cargo, tackling tough hills or longer distances – making it easier to choose cycling instead of car use.
“We’re committed in Scotland to building an Active Nation, where many more people choose to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys. To support this, the Scottish Government has committed to providing record sums of over £320 million a year by the end of 2024/25.
“This funding will help us bring about the transformational shift that we need to help meet our 20% car kilometre reduction target whilst protecting our climate from damaging transport emissions. Many of the successful projects are widening access for disabled people, placing inclusivity at the heart of their approach and I look forward to seeing the success of these schemes in action.“
(Picture – Transport Scotland)
