Introducing electric vehicles for public transport

Rethymno is introducing the first clean vehicles into its municipal and PT fleets, including an electric car and a mini e-bus.

Implementing sustainable mobility

Rethymno launched the first public e-vehicles in the region, including one electric mini bus and one electric car, and by doing so aims to promote electromobility to citizens and visitors.

The e-bus, accessible to people with disabilities, operates a new pilot circular route to connect the city center with the beach and Public Transport station, serving both citizens and tourists. The municipal e-car is used by the Technical Services department of the Municipality, operating also as a moving advert promoting clean vehicles and e-mobility.

The main objectives of the measure are to:

increase awareness for electromobility and electric vehicles demand.
increase use of clean fuelled vehicles in the public transport fleets.
reduce CO2 emissions in the city centre.
reduce private cars/taxi circulation, launching a new circular route in the city center.

The measure includes:

Procurement of one e-car for the municipal fleet, to serve the Municipal Services operations and as a moving promotion of EVs.
Leasing one mini e-bus to operate new circular routes to serve both citizens’ and tourists’ needs.
Promotional campaign to promote electromobility and the use of the e-bus.
Attractive and informative signage of the route stops and of the e-vehicles.
Users’ satisfaction survey.
Business model to keep the new route self-sustaining and identify replication potential in more routes/services/areas.

How did the measure progress?

The activities implemented so far are:

Market research and procurement fulfilment for i) a municipal e-car procurement ii) leasing one mini e-bus iii) the e-bus driver subcontract.
Design of new circular routes to link the historic centre with the beach and the PT terminal station; consultations with PT operator, taxi association and tourism stakeholders; the defined e-bus route was approved by the Municipal Council.
Fulfilment of the licensing procedures and circulation approval by the competent Ministry.
Launch the e-bus operation in July 2019, with the collaboration of the PT operator, to ensure sustainability after the end of the project.
Design of attractive and promotional signage for i) the municipal e-car, ii) the e-bus labelling, iii) the bus stop and informational signs of the new route.
Campaign promoting electromobility and the use of the e-bus including e-vehicles test drives, e-cars exhibition, promotional material (leaflets, postcards) developed and distributed to hotels, Public Transport Station, touristic offices and relevant associations.
Launching event for the new e-bus by the Minister of Transport, the General Secretary of Spatial Planning and Urban Environment, the Mayor of Rethymno and the Director of the Public Transport operator.
Assessment report and users’ satisfaction survey.

What were the outcomes of the measure?

The expected outcomes of the measure are:

Introduction of clean vehicles to the municipal and PT fleets; one mini e-bus operating by the PT operator and one e-car in circulation to serve the operation of the Municipal Technical Services department.
Signage and informative materials to promote e-mobility and the e-bus operation.
New seasonal routes serving the city beach and the city centre, contributing to the reduction of private vehicles use, traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.
Evaluation of the replication potential in more routes/services/areas.