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EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS), a regional transport organisation in the North of Scotland, has joined forces with on-demand shared transport company, Liftango, to provide sustainable and accessible transit services to residents in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
This strategic partnership will leverage Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) software to combat transport inequality, reduced funding and a lack of commercial trips to rural areas of the country.
Neil MacRae, Partnership Manager at HITRANS, said: “Digital technology such as Liftango’s is helping us to deliver more equitable transport across the region. The flexibility and convenience of the Dynamic DRT it provides stood out. We look forward to the ongoing partnership as we roll out services across our partner Local Authorities and Fleet Operators.”
The vast majority of Public Transport on Scotland’s islands do not operate on a commercial basis. Commercial services are restricted to a few of the larger settlements and some longer distance arterial routes on the mainland. Public and community transport is almost entirely supported through a mix of services contracted by local authorities or volunteers, with some grants coming from the local or central government.
The cost of providing these services is high, and funding has not been growing to match this. The COVID-19 pandemic, the current level of Public Transport and the existing model have only increased these challenges.
In response to these challenges, HITRANS and Liftango have collaborated to roll out DRT services to the local authorities and fleet operators in the region. The rollout will allow multiple operators to independently administer their services exclusively through a single digital platform provided by Liftango. These services range from fully Demand-Responsive Transport services within specific or flexible geography on designated days to hybrid services that operate on a pre-booking model and serve particular destinations.
David Mawhinney, Head of Liftango - Europe, commented: “We see our platform being able to help bring transport to the communities across the Highlands and Islands. Flexibility and availability of transport options have been a challenge over the years for many of the region’s residents. They will now be able to access equitable transport services by making advanced or last-minute on-demand bookings at a time most suitable to their schedules.”
HITRANS and Liftango will be facilitating sustainable transport in the region by improving access to transit and resolving transport inequality for residents in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
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About Liftango
We provide cities, organisations, and fleet operators with the knowledge to positively impact people’s lives by improving access to shared, connected and sustainable transportation. Our technology makes the best use of vehicle capacity whilst giving passengers the freedom to travel the way they want to.
Together, we help:
- Cities evolve into Smart Cities
- Transit Agencies to create better public bus systems
- Private Bus Operators to digitise their services to become more efficient
- Corporates to create sustainable and scalable mobility solutions for their staff
- Property Developers to design sites for future mobility solutions and reduce parking
Learn more: liftango.com
About HITRANS
Regional transport partnerships were established to strengthen the planning and delivery of regional transport so that it better serves the needs of people and businesses. HITRANS brings together local authorities and other key stakeholders to take a strategic approach to transport in their area.
Learn more: hitrans.org.uk
Further information
For media enquires, please contact:
Liftango
JJ O’Brien +61 429 845 355 JJ.Obrien@liftago.com
HITRANS
Neil MacRae +44 7730 210 863 Neil.MacRae@hitrans.org.uk
