Kingston council has announced the details of its plans to encourage the use of ‘greener’ transport, following last November’s official ‘Action Plan’ agreement.
The Electric Vehicle Charging Policy and Action Plan, agreed at the Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee, aims to encourage a switch to electric vehicles (EVs) by improving the infrastructure accordingly, namely by installing more EV charging ports across the borough.
Councillor Hilary Gander, Kingston council’s portfolio holder for sustainability said that these changes will contribute to producing cleaner and healthier air in Kingston.
“Encouraging residents and businesses to switch to electric vehicles which have zero tailpipe emissions helps improve air quality in Kingston which improves the health of everyone who lives or works here,” she said.
She added: “It is just one of the initiatives being driven forward by the draft Sustainable Transport Strategy and will see more electric charging points installed throughout the borough and help meet London’s Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle targets.
“Other initiatives outlined in strategy will promote walking, cycling and the use of public transport where possible.”
The council are highlighting health concerns as a key theme for the project – most notably, Public Health England estimated that in 2010 alone, 68 Kingston deaths resulted from man-made emissions.
Moreover, they have said that such emissions are reportedly responsible for around one in 20 deaths in the borough.
In response, the council say they are exploring a number of different technologies and energy providers in order to find the most “cost effective approach” to providing the ports.
Part of this process is to include a collaboration with TFL, with the immediate aim being to provide another 100 ports within the next three years. There are currently ten council-provided charging points located on Kingston roads and car-parks.
Kingston councils approach forms part of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle plan – an arm of the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy.
The strategy intends to ban the sale of new, non-hybrid petrol cars by 2050, and aims to make London ‘zero emission’ by 2050.
Moreover, the council have published a short summary of the plans on their website.
