Two-year trial could see drivers in Coventry stop using their cars in exchange for public transport credits
Motorists in Coventry could be paid up to £3,000 a year to give up their cars as part of a pilot scheme to calculate the cost of reducing dependency on polluting vehicles.
The two-year trial, which was approved by the city council in 2019, will see owners of pre-Euro 4 petrol and pre-Euro 6 diesel cars surrender their vehicles in exchange for credits that can be used to pay for public transport, bicycles, e-scooters, car-sharing schemes and taxis.
Hampshire County Council is also considering a similar ‘Mobility Credit Scheme’.
AA president Edmund King questioned why a city with such strong links to the motor industry would want to stop people driving, particularly with many UK car makers going electric in the near future.
He said: “Coventry was right at the heart of the historic revolution of the British motor industry and known to many as the UK’s motor city or ‘British Detroit.
“How ironic that a local authority in Coventry is now trying to pay people to ditch their wheels.
“The timing of this initiative seems bizarre when many are avoiding public transport due to Covid-19 and leading brands such as Jaguar, with close links to Coventry, are going all-electric by 2025.
“The money would probably be better spent on providing electric charging points for those without off-street parking rather than giving mobility credits for services that people will use when they need to or feel safe to.”
