Accelerating Community-Led Climate Action: Climate Action Strathaven

As part of Community Transport Week’s ‘Accelerating Community-Led Climate Action’ day, I had the pleasure of visiting one of our inspiring members, Climate Action Strathaven (CAS). It was a fantastic morning spent geeking out on climate action, and I couldn’t be more impressed by what I saw.

CAS has become a hub of innovation, nestled in the heart of Strathaven at their Eco Hub, which has quickly become a cornerstone for the community. The hub is home to a range of climate-conscious initiatives aimed at supporting local residents to take climate action in their daily lives. From bike repair and e-bike hire to a community fridge and a new retrofit scheme helping households become more energy efficient, CAS is leading the way in local environmental action.

One of their standout services is the 3C bus, which was launched in October 2022 and has already proven to be a huge success. It provides a vital link between Strathaven, Stonehouse, and Glasgow, with around 11,000 fares being used per month! I took the bus from Glasgow myself, and it was packed with passengers, a testament to how important it has become for the community.

I had the privilege of speaking with a passenger who has been using the 3C bus since its launch two years ago. When asked to summarise how the service has impacted her, she responded with three words: "love, joy, and gratitude." She went on to describe how the bus service has enabled her to engage more in community activities, simplifying her travels and reducing the need for car use.

It’s clear that CAS is much more than a transport provider—they are a community-driven force committed to sustainability. The dedication of the staff, volunteers, and passengers shines through in everything they do. Their Eco Hub has become an indispensable asset, and the 3C service is just one example of how they are helping to lower transport emissions while strengthening community ties.

To celebrate their success, we spoke to Alison Harley, Programme Manager at CAS, who shared some impressive stats about the people they’re able to support through the service:

“On average, 65% of our passengers are concessionary card holders – this includes those over 60 years old, those under 22, and disabled concessionary card holders. This service may be operated by Climate Action Strathaven, but it’s our community’s bus service. Without them investing in us, we couldn’t invest in the 3C bus service.”

The 3C service has become a reliable and trusted service in and around Strathaven, and CAS’ innovation has enabled behaviour change by providing an effective and attractive low-carbon option to single-occupancy car journeys:

“We’re proud to say that over 70% of our daily passengers told us they would have used a car for part, if not all, of their journey. For us, the stats say it all. We will continue to help lower our transport emissions in and around our community!”

At CTA, we’re proud to represent lots of members who are taking climate action through providing accessible shared transport options up and down the country, and we’re always delighted to celebrate the success of operators and their services.  

Congratulations to Climate Action Strathaven on two very successful years of the 3C bus service, and for being a trailblazer in community-led climate action!

To learn more about climate action in Community Transport, check out our Act Local: Community Transport, Climate Action, and Scotland’s Just Transition to Net Zero report here.