EARLIER this year, SP Energy Networks joined the inspiring team at SoulRiders in Pollokshields, Glasgow, to unveil Scotland’s first-ever integrated e-cargo bike delivery and food waste service.
For many years, SoulRiders has run a community cycling centre in the southside of Glasgow. On a normal day, the team refurbish donated bikes that can then be given back to the community, make bike repairs and offer mechanical training.
With a little help from SP Energy Networks, the team at SoulRiders is now leading one of Glasgow’s most exciting green projects, helping improve the city’s air quality with world-leading technology.
Using £140,000 of funding from SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund, the community-led project is rolling out five e-cargo bikes to provide a delivery solution to tackle traffic and pollution in Glasgow by helping reduce the number of petrol and diesel delivery vehicles on the streets.
It will tackle social issues such as food poverty by working with food share initiatives to deliver food to the city’s most disadvantaged communities – ensuring no community is left behind in the transition to electric transport.
Rashid Khaliq, chief executive of SoulRiders, said: “At SoulRiders, our aim has always been to create stronger communities through cycling. Thanks to funding from the Green Economy Fund, we were able to launch our new e-cargo bike service.
“We believe our project will reduce the number of vans and lorries on our streets and provide a solution to many issues including traffic and pollution in cities. We are proud to play our part in Scotland’s thriving green economy and to be receiving crucial support from SP Energy Networks.”
The Green Economy Fund is a way of SP Energy Networks investing in the communities it serves, by funding innovative projects like SoulRiders to support the Scottish and the UK Government’s Net Zero ambitions. The £20 million fund supports Glasgow’s mission to become the UK’s first Net Zero city by 2030.
The fund also aims to boost local economic growth and deliver a better future, quicker for all. Across the country, SP Energy Networks is helping innovative electric transport projects, like SoulRiders, to get up and running.
These include pioneering projects such as community car clubs in the Scottish Borders and South Ayrshire, expansion of the Transport for Edinburgh and Forth Environment Link cycle hire schemes, and new electric buses in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Kilmarnock. So far, 35 projects have been awarded funding from SP Energy Networks across central and southern Scotland. These include 18 electric transport projects that have already purchased 24 vehicles and 10 electric vehicle chargers in key locations.
This article appeared in the recent Scottish Power "Countdown to Net Zero" publication which you can view online HERE
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