Brighton and Hove’s electric vehicles project wins top award
Brighton & Hove City Council has won a national award for its work to promote the use of electric vehicles. It is the only city in the country to have gained funding for such a project from the CIVITAS ARCHIMEDES Project.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Point project has won CIVINET’s PRISM Award for the most outstanding, ambitious and innovative scheme in the field of sustainable urban mobility in the UK and Ireland. Electric vehicles produce zero emissions on the road, which is a huge advantage over conventionally powered vehicles in terms of air quality. The council’s electric vehicle charging point scheme, which began in February 2010, was the first project of its scale in the UK outside London. Four on-street electric vehicle charging points have been installed at Bartholomew’s in central Brighton and Ditchling Road opposite The Level. A further four have been recently installed, two at Withdean Stadium which will be up and running at the end of the week and two at Madeira Drive. The council is working with energy supply companies to have the Madeira Drive points up and running by autumn. A registration scheme for UK residents has been set up by the council and Elektromotive, the charging point supplier. A trial period is underway offering incentives to encourage drivers to switch to electric vehicles, including free registration, parking and electricity whilst vehicles are recharging. The project has won CIVINET’s PRISM Award for the most outstanding, ambitious and innovative scheme in the field of sustainable urban mobility in the UK and Ireland. Brighton & Hove City Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for transport and the urban realm, Councillor Ian Davey, said: “Our vision is to make Brighton & Hove the UK’s greenest city, and we are committed to achieving a clean and energy-efficient transport system. “We’re working with other cities and countries to share expertise and best practice. It’s exciting to think that what we do here will influence future transport policy, not only in the UK but also in Europe.” The council has also gained external funding for a number of other sustainable transport initiatives, including road safety projects and public transport information for visually impaired people. For further information about using electric vehicles and the city’s charging points visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/elec-vehicles or phone 01273 292455 / 290367.
Author: Debbie Reed
