Car park only for electric vehicles to be built in Dundee

Dundee City Council is planning to create a car park in the city centre solely for electric vehicles.
An electric car in actionAn electric car in action
An electric car in action

The car park on Princes Street will have spaces and chargers for 18 vehicles. Part of a £1.86 million grant from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles will be used to build it.

Councillors on Dundee’s city development committee will be asked to pave the way by approving a variation of an off-street parking order when they meet next week.

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A spokesman for campaign group Friends of the Earth Scotland said that encouraging more drivers to switch to electric vehicles would help reduce emissions.

He said: “Dundee’s Seagate and Lochee Road are among the most polluted streets in Scotland so measures to cut the number of fossil-fuelled vehicles on the streets are to be welcomed. The growth in clean electric vehicles is vital to cutting climate emissions and the air pollution choking our cities, particularly with a Low Emission Zone on the way to Dundee by 2020.”

But he added: “However, if we wish to give more people access to transport we need fewer vehicles on our roads, not just newer vehicles.

“Improvements to public transport along with safer walking and cycling paths will help more people to choose to leave the car at home and not worry about parking at all.”

Dundee already has some of the most-used charging points for electric vehicles in Scotland. A study released this week found more than 31,000 charging sessions have taken place at council charging points since the start of 2017.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has set a target for new petrol and diesel vehicles to be phased out in Scotland by 2032. Motor trade experts have said that they expect a surge in the sale of electric vehicles in the coming year.

Meanwhile, the council revealed this week it wants to create three new residents’ parking schemes in the city centre. The scheme would see residents in Coldside, Maryfield and the West End pay around £60 a year for permits to park on the street. Commuters who park in areas reserved for residents could be ticketed.