Electric car drivers could be awarded for their eco-friendly attitudes, as Transport Minister Leo Varadkar looks set to roll out free parking in Irish cities.
We’ve been hearing a lot about the clampers as of late, mostly about how many of you have been unfairly clamped in the past. But all that could soon change – if you have an electric car that is. That’s because the Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, is hoping to table a new legislation regarding electric cars and priority parking.
If the new measures come into effect, local authorities will have the right to reserve certain parking spots for electric vehicles only, and these spots could see a waived or heavily reduced parking charge. To top things off you can expect to see the free electric-only parking spots in prime locations all throughout major cities and towns.
The move will aim to shift more drivers from fossil fuels to electric motors, as there are only about 200 fully electric cars on Irish roads at the moment, even though the ESB has rolled out 223 public recharging points. The ESB hopes to see the number of public recharging points increase to 1,500 by 2013.
That figure might seem a tad hopeful, but it’s all in tune with the ‘grand scheme of things’. The industry has hit back at claims that the electric car has been an absolute and utter flop, as they believe Ireland is now rolling out ‘future proof’ recharging facilities.
Will Ireland become the international hub for future of electric cars? Or have we splashed out on something that will become utterly useless in ten years time? That doesn’t sound like an Irish thing to do now does it?
