Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is one of just six councils in Scotland putting cash investment
for green transport initiatives to good use, according to figures obtained by the
Scottish Conservatives.
The statistics released through Freedom of Information laws found that more than
£2 million of taxpayers’ cash set aside for Scottish Government’s electric vehicle
schemes is lying dormant in council bank accounts. It said around a third of councils
do not even have electrical charging points.
The Comhairle operates two electric Nissan Leaf cars with charging points in Stornoway,
Tarbert, Balivanich and Castlebay.
They replace petrol-powered vehicles helping to save on fuel, with zero road tax,
and, with the newer vehicle, less expenditure on maintenance.
The Scottish Government wants to subsidise green vehicles as part of its Low Carbon
Vehicle Support Scheme.
While most local authorities have under used their allocation in the last two years,
the Comhairle has “overspent” by £10,000.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Alex Johnstone said: “The SNP’s obsession
with electric vehicles is “ludicrous.”
He said the “unspent cash could have been used far more wisely in services people
actually need and care about.
“Instead, we have this vast sum gathering dust while people’s cars are being damaged
by potholed roads, teacher-pupils ratios are widening and council care workers are
under even more pressure to meet demands.
“The SNP has already devoted nearly £8 million to green transport schemes – the least
it could do is redeploy the remainder which would actually give Scotland’s councils
a much needed cash boost.”
Electric vehicle charging point in Castlebay
Green car cash used effectively in Western Isles 29/12/12