Grants available for community transport

AN MSP is encouraging community transport operators locally to apply for Scottish Government funding to invest in zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure.

A £4 million cash boost has been added to the latest round of the Plugged-In Communities Fund, opening for applications and offering grants of up to £75,000 to eligible local groups to buy new zero-emission vehicles to replace their current polluting diesel vehicles, and to install the infrastructure needed to charge them.

Since the Fund first launched in 2021, over £4.2 million in grants has been paid to 49 different groups across Scotland, including schemes in Annandale and New Galloway totalling £376,000.

The Scottish Government’s funding was welcomed by South Scotland MSP, Emma Harper. She said: “This latest funding boost from the SNP Scottish Government is ready to receive applications from groups across D&G who provide community transport to their areas.

“Local community transport projects deliver vital links for local residents and businesses and give many of our most vulnerable groups crucial access to essential services, employment, social or leisure activities, and goods, keeping households and communities connected locally and further afield.

“We’ve already seen around ten per cent of all national funding over recent years come here to Dumfries and Galloway, a tremendous boost locally, but I hope there’s much more to come over the years ahead – so I’d urge any community transport group who might be interested to get their application in and see what can be done.”

Interested organisations can begin their applications by visiting the Energy Saving Trust website, who are administering the scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government, at energysavingtrust.org.uk.