York could become Britain’s first electric car-only city as local officials push to ban petrol and diesel vehicles when the lockdown is lifted
- Councillors want York to become the United Kingdom’s first zero-emissions city
- The city is already due to ban private car journeys in the area by as soon as 2023
- After the lockdown York is looking at only allowing bicycles and electric vehicles
One of Britain’s most popular tourist cities may only allow in bicycles and electric vehicles after the pandemic ends.
Councillors want York, which is already due to ban private car journeys within its historic walls by 2023, to become the country’s first zero-emissions city.
The move has been prompted by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’s announcement of a £2billion bike-boosting package to ‘change the way people travel’.
This will include at least one city with a bike and electric vehicle-only centre.
York city council’s Labour group has written to its Liberal Democrat-led coalition asking it to bid for the role.
This will include at least one city with a bike and electric vehicle-only centre. Pictured: Stock photo of an electric car charging
Councillor Jonny Crawshaw said: ‘Fewer cars on the roads has already led to vast improvements in air quality and it’s been great to see more people, including many families, getting out and about on their bikes, exploring parts of the city they might not previously have felt safe venturing into on two wheels.
‘We are really keen to find ways of retaining these gains as and when the lockdown is gradually eased.’
Liberal Democrat councillor Paula Widdowson said: ‘We will take every opportunity to work with the Government to sustain the positive environmental benefits that have come from the reduced number of vehicles on our roads.’
The move has been prompted by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’s announcement of a £2billion bike-boosting package to ‘change the way people travel’. Pictured: Stock photo of a cyclist
York attracts nearly seven million visitors a year. The council has already voted to stop all non-essential private car journeys inside the city walls by 2023, with an exemption for those who rely on cars such as the disabled.
Meanwhile, a YouGov survey of 1,682 adults found that 53 per cent supported closing town centres to non-essential vehicles once a week in a bid to open up roads for pedestrians and cyclists.
And some 39 per cent of those questioned thought money earmarked for road building should be spent on helping us cycle or walk more instead.