UK to get more electric scooters to fight congestion

UK's Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) plans to allocate more money towards getting more electric scooters on the roads.

Starting summer 2015 through 2020, i uld make available £7.5 million would to provide subsidies of up to £1,500 per vehicle that would benefit least 5,000 riders.

The scheme would help reduce CO2, as also congestion.

Getting people to cycle rather than drive was one way to address the problem of congestion. But many people did not, due to lack of practicality and comfort. After all, given the fact that the UK had long winters, it was understandable people did not want to face the biting cold on a daily basis.

According to Steve Kenward, the CEO of The Motorcycle Industry Association which has represented the motorcycle industry for over 100 years', "This was a significant development as it recognised the part motorcycles and scooters will play in a low carbon future. Subsidy will encourage more people to opt for electric motorcycles and scooters, which will help solve the UK's appalling congestion problem.

'We also hope it will give manufacturers who already have electric models for sale in mainland Europe the confidence to launch in the UK."

The move would make qualifying vehicles up to 20 per cent cheaper, establishing motorcycles and scooters as the most affordable electric vehicles on the market and therefore within the reach of more people.

According to a major traffic report published on FleetPoint, congestion had worsened considerably over the past year, with journeys now taking 29 per cent longer during peak times than they would under free flowing traffic conditions.

Further, as per EU research, powered two-wheelers helped reduce congestion for all road users. Traffic flow modeled for one of the most congested roads in Europe, showed that when just 10 per cent of car drivers swapped to a motorcycle, scooter or moped, congestion was reduced for all road users by 40 per cent.