Charity calls for councils to create incentives for giving up private cars

Scotland’s councils have been urged to introduce incentives for people who give up private vehicles as a way of increasing shared transport use.

National shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) said people could be offered ‘mobility credits’ for choosing alternative modes of travel like car clubs and bike hire schemes.

In a manifesto for Scottish local authorities ahead of May’s local government elections, CoMoUK said councils must do more to support shared transport schemes to help Scotland meet climate change targets and improve the nation’s health.

It said shared transport can contribute directly to cleaner air and better health as car club vehicles emit 37% less CO2 than the average UK car.

The charity also said bike hire schemes have positive impacts on both physical and mental health, with half of Scottish bike share users saying it had contributed to them reaching the recommended 2.5 hours or more of physical activity per week.

But despite these benefits, CoMoUK warned shared transport remains frequently under-represented in Scottish local authorities’ transport strategies and delivery plans.

Rachael Murphy, CoMoUK Scotland Director, said: ‘Shared transport schemes are already doing heavy lifting on decarbonisation, but can go much further with greater support and should be employed right across Scotland

‘They provide an alternative to car ownership, and, together with public and active transport, shared transport reduces greenhouse gas emissions, poor air quality and congestion. The local government elections in May present an opportunity for shared transport to be built into the future travel policies of every local authority in Scotland.

‘Currently, shared transport remains underrepresented in the transport strategies and delivery plans of Scottish local authorities. We believe further support is needed if the full benefits that sustainable transport can offer are to be achieved.’

The call is among 12 key actions the charity wants councils to take, including investing a percentage of revenue made from low emission zones and any Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) schemes in shared transport.

It wants new housing developments and council infrastructure to include bike sharing, car clubs and mobility hubs to reduce reliance on privately-owned vehicles and said councils should show ‘best practice’ by using pool vehicles for car sharing.

In new developments, CoMoUK has said parking provision should be limited to one private car per property or less, with clear alternatives for residents including bike and car share schemes being made available.

Photo by Jonathan Ricci