The project targets sensitive and very important social groups for the region, such as, students, elderly or disabled people, staff and tourists of the involved municipalities. More specifically:
- The Western Macedonia Region in Greece (Municipality of Florina (MoF) and Municipality of Prespes (MoP)), as well as the Pelagonia Region in the North Macedonia (Municipality of Bitola (MoB) and Municipality of Resen (MoR)) offer a great number of touristic attractions. Therefore, an intelligent network of electric mini-buses will bring added-value to these attractions. Additionally, the cross-border interconnection of these touristic sites will be enhanced. The electric mini-busses themselves and the proposed routes can facilitate tourists and the local population to identify many cultural common characteristics between the two regions.
- Especially in Prespes Municipality, which consists of small and distributed residential areas (small villages), students have to use “traditional/conventional” public transport or taxis in their daily trip to school. Replacing the current transport modes with more energy-efficient ones, within a regional intelligent transportation system, will support the efficient realization of both the tourist promotion of the area and the student’s daily transportation.
- The new system will also promote the environmental conservation of the area and the protection of its natural beauty.
- Moreover, due to the heavy winter periods, residents in this region, and especially elderly, disabled, distant-residents, face great difficulties in their daily transport. This project faces this challenge and facilitates residents in these Municipalities (MUNIs) with the on-demand use of utility electric vehicles (e-vehicles).
- Furthermore, the solar availability in the region, which is indicated for high performance of energy supply through photovoltaic (PV) panels, could be exploited for replacing the conventional energy used by current transport, with renewable energy.
