Scottish Rural & Islands Transport Convention (Online)

Scottish Rural & Islands Transport Convention Online

Spread over the mornings of Wednesday 7th and Friday 9th October, the 2020 Convention will bring together members of the rural and islands transport community from across the world. Keeping to the spirit of the SRITC, the convention will be engaging, informative, interactive, and most importantly fun!

Both mornings of the online convention are free to attend and you join at any time between the start at 9:30am (UK time) and close at 1pm. After completing your registration, joining instructions will be emailed to you closer to the convention dates.

Read on to find out more about the exciting sessions that you'll be able to attend.

Day One: Wednesday 7th October

Theme: Scotland Rural & Islands Mobility

Session 1: Islands Mobility

Time: 9:30-10:30am (UK Time)

Scotland's islands face a unique set of transport challenges. From Arran in the south to the Shetlands in the north, accessing affordable and sustainable transport services continues to present issues for residents, businesses, and visitors. However, in spite of this, there are examples of community led programmes that are making real inroads into tackling these issues.

In what promises to be a very lively start to the convention, change makers from across Scotland's islands will share their stories about the mobility projects & innovations that will deliver better social and economic outcomes for all.

Before the end of session, there will be a moderated discussion panel with the speakers offering the opportunity to ask any questions that come to mind during their presentations.

Confirmed Speakers

Jude King: Director, Visit Arran & Project Manager Arran Eco Savvy

Jim Buck: Head of Marine Services and Transportation at Orkney Islands Council

Cameron Anson/Don Morrison: Scottish Government Islands Team

Session 2: Innovation & Rural Mobility

Time: 10:40-11:40am

What innovations are shaping the future of rural mobility in Scotland? That's the central question that will be explored in this session. Leaders at the forefront of "cross cutting" technologies such as 5G, IoT and Satellite Applications and also community led innovations in Demand Responsive Transport will share their experiences and ideas on how these technologies can help to crack the hardest mobility challenges facing rural and islands communities.

This session will be delivered though a small number of short formal presentations followed by an interactive discussion with panellists.

Session 3: How can COVID be an accelerator for rural mobility? Facilitated Workshops

Time: 11:50-1:00pm

Rounding off day 1 of the convention, we'll break off into virtual groups to explore how our experiences from the COVID pandemic can be used to catalyse rural mobility in Scotland. This facilitated session offers an opportunity to share examples from your community of short term transport improvisations & innovations necessitated by COVID, discuss whether they will inspire more positive & permanent shifts in travel behaviours and the oppotunities for them to be scaled up nationally.

Day Two: Friday 9th October (supported by MaaS Scotland)

Theme: Scotland & Beyond

Session 1: Rural Mobility Hubs

Time: 9:30-10:30am

What are rural mobility hubs? What role will the play in the future of rural mobility? Where should they be located to deliver most benefit? These are just three of the questions that will be addressed in this session.

Based on research and real world operational experience, a panel of speakers from across the community, academic, public and private sectors will share their insights on the opportunities, barriers and risks involved in developing a rural mobility hub and set out practical considerations that must be made to ensure that the full range of benefits can be realised.

This session will be delivered though a small number of short formal presentations followed by an interactive discussion with panellists.

Session 2: Rural MaaS

Time: 10:40-11:40am

The value of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in a rural and islands context continues to be deeply discussed, debated and tested inside (and outside) rural communities across the world. While there is no shortage of theories on how MaaS could and should be deployed, it's generally recognised that there is no "one size fits all" solution as travel needs and behaviours vary from region to region.

In order to sharpen thinking in this important area, a panel of practitioners from around the world will outline the learnings they are gaining through the design and delivery of rural MaaS projects.

This session will be delivered though a small number of short formal presentations followed by an interactive discussion with panellists.

Confirmed Speakers

Steve Cassidy: Co-founder Fuse Mobility Ltd

Azarel Chamorro: Mobility Consultant, Japan

Session 3: Future Journeys. What would you like to see in a rural mobility strategy? Facilitated Workshop

Time: 11:50-1:00pm

There are a very small number of countries that have a rural mobility strategy that is developed from the bottom up and formally supported by their Government.

As we close out the convention, this facilitated workshop provides an opportunity to briefly reflect on what we've learned across the two days and then look to the short, medium- and long-term future of rural mobility.

In order to achieve the desired social, wellbeing and economic outcomes , what should be the key pillars of a robust strategy? What role will emerging technologies such as AI & 5G play? Where does decarbonisation sit in the rural mobility hierarchy? These plus many other questions will be evaluated and prioritised during the workshops.