A BROMSGROVE driver of an electric car has hit out at the council for not installing more electric chargers in the district.
And Paul Walton said the authority was missing a trick as fellow electric motorists would increase town centre footfall and boost the local economy when they visited as, while they waited for their cars to charge, they would more than likely visit shops and eateries.
His comments come a fortnight after Bromsgrove District Council was awarded £300,000 to install ten charge points for electric taxis across the district for ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV).
Statistics released this week – taken by gocompare.com from the Department of Transport – show Bromsgrove is fourth in the West Midlands in the table of areas which have the most ULEVs with 50 per 10,000 vehicles.
Bromsgrove is also in the top five for the increasing popularity of electric cars, seeing almost five times as many on the district’s roads from three years ago.
Mr Walton, who has had his Nissan Leaf for 20 months, said: “I have just taken my dog Jess for a walk in Moreton-in-Marsh and one of the reasons we go there is for the charger.
“If a little village in The Cotswolds can have a charger, surely a town like Bromsgrove should have one.”
He added because of the dearth of points in Bromsgrove he was listed on the Internet as a ‘home charger’ who let other people use his supply if they were absolutely desperate.
If he wanted to charge his car when he was not at home the nearest ones would be Webbs in Wychbold – which was not accessible 24-hours-a-day and Redditch where there is one at either end of town or Waitrose Droitwich.
He said many local authorities when they were agreeing development in their towns would make installing chargers part of the planning conditions.
“Bromsgrove has had a new Aldi and Lidl recently and could have easily asked either or both of them to install chargers.
“On the forums I go on, the two supermarkets are often more than happy to oblige.”
A Bromsgrove District Council spokesperson said when the taxi charging points were created they would be considering extending the points for use by the general public.
Visit https://www.gocomphare. com/car-insurance/green- authorities/ for more on how different areas fare for electric cars.
