Drivers of electric vehicles in the wider Bristol region will receive a £7-million boost with a planned investment in new charging points. The chargers will be built on streets to help residents without a driveway, who would otherwise have to trail wires over pavements.
The new charging points will be paid for by cash from the government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, recently given to the West of England Combined Authority. The region’s political leaders said the investment was needed to help meet net zero carbon targets.
The chargers could also be built for car clubs, taxis, and at park and ride sites, although most of the money will be spent helping residents without driveways. The cash was agreed by the West of England Combined Authority committee in a meeting on Friday, June 16.
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Councillor Kye Dudd, Labour cabinet member for climate at Bristol City Council, said: “We really welcome the government funding, and it’s quite clearly part of the overall strategy to meet our net zero targets in terms of the transport sector.
“But we do need to ensure that the money is spent in an equitable way, and it's not just used in residential areas where people can afford expensive electric vehicles at the moment. We would like to see a focus on rapid charge hubs and ultra rapid charge hubs, but we do still see the need for some on-street charging points as well.”
Transport causes about a third of greenhouse gas emissions in Bristol and 40 per cent across the West of England. In a bid to cut these emissions, the region’s political leaders are trying to encourage drivers to either switch to an electric vehicle, public transport or walking and cycling.
In total the government is giving out £343 million to councils across the country for new charging points. But the extra £7.2 million local funding should be spent across the West of England, not just in the towns and cities, according to Steve Reade, former Conservative cabinet member for transport at South Gloucestershire Council.
He said: “The money has the ability to make a significant impact on our net zero goal. I hope the authority will ensure the money is allocated across the whole region and benefit the rural areas as well as the urban ones. Our residents are crying out for some form of acceptable on-street charging.”
