Coalfield communities welcome car hire with a difference
Rural communities are set to benefit from a new electric vehicle hire initiative aimed at helping to improving connectivity for residents in the Cumnock and Doon Valley areas, thanks to an innovative partnership project funded by Ayrshire Growth Deal.
Launching in partnership with Coalfield Community Transport, the Community Electric Car Club is funded by the Growth Deal's Community Renewable Energy (CoRE) project.
The Community Electric Car Club will provide affordable and accessible community transport whilst allowing locals to experience the benefits of the technology first-hand.
Electric vehicles will initially be available to hire from existing electric chargers at Townhead Street car park in Cumnock and the Health Centre car park in Dalmellington. The fleet includes three family-sized cars and a wheelchair accessible vehicle to improve accessibility and tackle social isolation for disabled residents.
Councillor Graham Barton, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning, Property and Environment welcomed the initiative. He said:
“Transport links and connectivity have long been a concern for some of our outlying communities, with the lack of regular public transport links but the Community Car Club offers an affordable solution as well as contributing towards East Ayrshire's journey to net zero.
“The beauty of this scheme is that locals can hire a car for short journeys, in the same way they might hop on a bus or train, whether that be for work, shopping, appointments or leisure – for less than the cost of an average fare on public transport – offering a perfect solution for local families on the move.
“The Electric Car Club has been developed to improve transport options for rural communities, support access to employment, education and essential services and to encourage greater use of electric vehicles.”
Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council said:
“Once again, it’s fantastic to see Ayrshire Growth Deal making a real difference to people’s lives. The CoRE project presents a unique opportunity to address two of the greatest challenges facing our communities, through tackling the ongoing cost of living and supporting our net-zero ambitions.
“We are working closely with educational, academic, employability and business partners to address regional skills gaps, to ensure local people are positioned to benefit economically from the net-zero transition and to support the creation of career pathways from our schools into further education.
“For our rural communities local transport is key for people being able to access new opportunities for education, training and employment and the Community Electric Car Club will open doors for many local people.”
Councillor Tony Gurney, Leader of North Ayrshire Council and chair of Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee, said: “The CoRE project is one of the Ayrshire Growth Deal’s main strategic projects and a key driver in our net-zero ambitions and tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
“We want to make Ayrshire greener and make it an area where everyone has access to the same resources and opportunities. This scheme has been set up to make the use of electric cars – a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way of travelling – something that is as affordable to people in rural areas as it is to those living in towns and cities.
“This new scheme will not only make electric cars more accessible and affordable but also support a cleaner future for our rural areas. We look forward to seeing the scheme in operation and how it can make a real difference to people.”
As the project develops, new solar-powered car charging hubs will be created in Cumnock, Dalmellington, New Cumnock and Muirkirk, improving access to both electric vehicles hire and new public car charging infrastructure.
A digital booking app has been developed with HiyaCar, which will facilitate remote booking and 24-hour vehicle access. The app will also include integrated monitoring and evaluation tools to track vehicles, capture user feedback and monitor local demand for electric vehicles.
Car Hire in East Ayrshire | Peer to Peer Car Sharing | Hiyacar
The Core project as a whole is funded by £17 million from the UK Government and £7.5 million from East Ayrshire Council. Additional funding for the Electric Car Hub has also been secured through Scottish Power Energy Networks' Transmission to Net Zero Fund, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport's People and Place Fund and the Nine Community Council's Group.