THE BROMSGROVE councillor responsible for environmental transport has vowed the authority would do all it could to encourage as many people as possible to use sustainable transport.
Coun Margaret Sherrey was responding to research by motorway.co.uk on ‘green motoring’ which listed the best and worst areas for the take up of ULEVs – Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles.
Bromsgrove saw an increase of 30.4 per cent between 2018 and 2019 in the uptake of the vehicles, which range from pure electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles, to plug-in hybrids and extended range electric vehicles.
A total of 345 ULEVs were registered by people in the district in 2018, compared to 450 last year.
The town fared better than Redditch, Worcester and Malvern for the number of ULEVs introduced in the last two years, although Worcester had seen a bigger increase in take-up.
Coun Sherrey said: “We are very excited to announce we have just gone out to tender for rapid electric vehicle chargers and will be making plans to install these, right across the district, using ULEV Taxi-charging infrastructure funding we successfully bid for last year.
“The nature of the funding means that EV taxis will get priority, for example via a booking system, but they will be open for anyone to use.”
A study is currently being commissioned with the Energy Saving Trust to devise a plan for the some of the council’s smaller vehicles to be switched to electric.
“As an employer, it is also wonderful to know that there are already a number of councillors and staff who have already made that switch.”
She also thanked everyone who completed the district council’s Future of Motoring survey last year, adding it was invaluable in helping the authority plan and develop further funding bids for the future.
In the green motoring survery, Exeter came top of the poll after registering 1,194 ULEVs in 2019, compared to 464 in 2018.
ULEV describes any vehicle which uses low carbon technologies, emits less than 75g of CO2/km from the exhaust and is capable of operating in zero tailpipe emission zone for a range of at least ten miles (SMMT).
Alex Buttle from motorway.co.uk said with Britain leaving the EU and the focus returning to domestic matters the Government had its part to play as well.
“With consumer confidence low and with the domestic auto industry suffering, is now the time for the Government to introduce EV (Electric Vehicle) purchase subsidies to help consumers make the leap to electric?”
Bromsgrove’s first electric taxi driver gives an insight on making the switch
- WHAT do you think Bromsgrove District Council should be doing to help increase the number of people using sustainable transport? Do you have a ULEV or an electric car? What has been your experience? Are there sufficient charging points in the district? Are there any other area’s examples you feel Bromsgrove should be emulating? Email your views to [email protected]
