Testimonials

These are just some of the testimonials we've had about the previous events:

"The SRITC virtual cafes are always such a pleasure to attend -the hosting team bring lots of energy, and they always manage to attract a large turnout of stakeholders from different vantage points on rural mobility. Never a dull discussion. The latest one on rural DRT was no exception! I look forward to the next one."

Amelie Sundberg, Partnerships Principal at Via

"The SRITC has become a great place to hear the mobility world talk without the structure of a webinar. Each month there are interesting topics and conversations from people who are interested in the subject. It is a great way of meeting people that are new to mobility but also those well established in the business. "

Robert Sykes, Director at Drop a Pin Limited

"The SRITC cafes are an excellent place to not only network but learn more about innovations in rural distributed mobility. I would highly recommend the SRITC to anyone interested from an affected stakeholder to wider industry perspective - there is something for everyone"

Rebecca Egan, Senior Safety Consultant at Atkins

“We found the SRTCs in 2018 and 2019 to be very beneficial to the organisation in a number of ways. Firstly, it allowed us to meet potential partners (Siemens, ORE Catapult to name a few) which has resulted in a potential partnership project with Siemens. New contact with the Catapult has also meant we are "in the loop" in respect of future developments in both transport but importantly for us also renewable energy and battery technology. Secondly the Convention has given us contacts in the Mobility as a Service sector. Thirdly, in presenting and attending both conferences we have spread the word on how we deliver transport. This has resulted in suggestions on how we can improve but also a good number of telephone calls and visits from other organisations to learn from our work. We also made contact with Jenny.”

Gordon Muir, Managing Director, The Rural Development Trust

"This was an excellent event. Typically upbeat and stimulating but also very informative, with great presentations about the use of The Routing Company's software on DRT services in Argyll, the process that the commissioning organisation - HITRANS - went through to get to that point, and also subsequent developments in another part of Scotland".

John Austin, Managing Director at MobiHub Ltd

“I would highly recommend others in rural areas, especially those who have challenges such as lack of public transport in their area to join in.  It is so uplifting to hear what is going on in other areas and that the issue is being tackled in a multitude of ways.  It means I don't feel that this area is 'on its own'.   It has been a welcoming experience both times I've been able to join”.  

Liz Nicholson, Chairperson at Wester Loch Ewe Trust

“The conference was definitely worth attending as I also got to meet Jenny. Marr Area Partnership subsequently held an information gathering exercise based on rural transport – MAP had been thinking of looking at rural transport issues, but ideas weren’t very focussed. Attending the conference definitely informed how the info gathering exercise was structured, and some interesting themes have emerged. We are now supporting groups to learn about electric car share schemes,  and will be holding a forum for footpath groups in March. The conference was very thought-provoking, and while the problem of rural transport will always be tricky to perfect, it was reassuring to be with so many people all intent on solving the same issues.”

Kate Redpath, Development Officer, Marr Area Partnership

“As an innovation centre focused on transport innovation that improves the quality of life for people across the UK,  the Rural Transport Convention has enabled us to build a deeper understanding of the challenges facing rural and island communities in Scotland while identifying opportunities to provide support via our research and development network, and relationships with policy makers such as Transport Scotland and the Department for Transport.”

Connected Places Catapult 

“From the standpoint of an economic development generalist, the conference proved tremendously useful for both content and networking. The organisers also put a lot of effort into the design of the event, which complemented the themes and added to the networking opportunities. Thanks to the conference, I obtained a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities for rural transport and I have also developed a range of contacts from industry, policy and academic backgrounds. The main reason I came from Ireland was to learn about UK expertise and best practice in a rural context. This helped inform the Embassy's regional economic engagement with Ireland, where regional transport features highly. We will have some form of dialogue with Irish partners in the future on shared transport challenges. In this regard, because of demographic similarities, Scotland would be the most useful source for UK best practice and commercial solutions."

Harry  O’Rahilly, Prosperity and Economy at Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ireland

"I have been coming to the Convention for the last couple of years. The reason why I travel from the South East of England is simple - this brilliantly organised and informative event fills a genuine niche. Rural transport and the value that it has to communities that it serves is not an afterthought here.  It is front and centre, and gives those who are in this space the chance to share ideas, best practice and network. I look forward to the next event."

James Gleave, Mobility Lab

“98% of Scotland is rural and good transport is a vital part of living in rural Scotland. Poor transport links have been highlighted as a barrier to those who live with poor mental health in rural areas to access services. The Rural Transport Convention is a crucial event to highlight these issues and ensure policy-makers hear the importance of improving rural transport and act upon them. To have the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to come to the Convention proves the importance that this event holds.”

Jim Hume, Convener of the National Rural Mental Health Forum