SYDNEY, N.S. — The province is asking people to come forward with their ideas on how to provide transportation alternatives in rural areas of Nova Scotia.
The Department of Energy and Mines recently issued a request for information, which closes Jan. 31, asking prospective respondents to submit proposals for rural ride sharing field tests.
“We’re looking at ways that we can address community transportation or transportation options in communities across the island and the province who would have little or no access to community transportation options,” Minister Derek Mombourquette, who is also Liberal MLA for Sydney-Whitney Pier, said in an interview.
The information gathered through the process will help determine possible future purchasing options or requirements. The tender notes the province may request addition information to clarify or supplement submissions.
Potential partners could be private entities, community-based, or a combination, Mombourquette said. Once the information is received, he said they will consult with communities to see how gaps may be filled.
The request for information notes that many Nova Scotians lack clear transportation options, with almost half of the province’s 900,000 residents living in smaller communities throughout a large geographic area, making vehicle ownership a necessity.
It also notes that providing mobility choices can potentially have an impact on areas including labour force, community connectedness and can also reduce carbon footprint and address social isolation.
Mombourquette said the project is particularly interested in looking at communities that have traditionally had few if any options available in terms of transportation. Investments have been made in a number of transportation initiatives, he added, including large municipalities and other community transportation projects.
The departments of Energy and Mines and Community, Culture and Heritage have set aside $250,000 to field test up to three ride share projects in communities with no suitable choices.
Mombourquette said officials don’t have any preconceived ideas about what models may look like.
“We want to give as many options as possible for residents in communities to partake, whether its’s going to medical appointments, whether it’s going to community gatherings or meeting places, having access to transportation Is important,” he said.
In 2017, 32 per cent of the province’s overall greenhouse gas emissions came from transportation.
The tender describes ride sharing as a shared mobility service type that provides an opportunity for shared use of vehicle on an as-needed basis the province is open to soliciting information on configurations including but not limited to car sharing, ride hailing, ride sharing, vanpooling, carpooling, trip planning aggregators or shuttle transit services. It adds it will focus on areas that have gaps in service and a need for low-cost transportation alternatives.
The goal of the project is to eventually have permanent on-demand services within mid-sized rural communities with populations between 15,000-40,000. Field tests will be within a 25-50 kilometre radius of a rural community, commercial district or corporate employer.
The request for information asks that proposals outline the organization’s name, its background, and how it would structure and operate its proposal.
