Islington Council is taking to the streets in the battle against global warming with the delivery of 13 electric scooters.The scooters are part of the council’s commitment to reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Staff in parking, waste management and Greenspace will use the scooters.The scooters, have a top speed of 35mph, run on gel batteries and are powered by electric motors. With a range of up to 40 miles, the scooters are ideal for regular, short journeys. To ‘re-fuel’, the scooters are simply plugged into a normal 13-amp socket. They are clean, quiet and cost about 7p to recharge, which means they achieve the equivalent of around 1500 mpg. As a further bonus, they are exempt from road tax and the congestion charge.The council tested the scooters in the summer when ScootElectric arranged a demonstration in the borough.Councillor Bridget Fox, executive member for sustainability said; “We all have a part to play in reducing pollution and minimising our impact on climate change. I’m delighted that they council has made this investment. Some of our staff do need to travel around the borough, so the scooters provide a much cleaner, quieter option than conventional transport. I’ve tried them myself and I think they are great.”ScootElectric marketing director Tony Cheverall said: “We hope other local authorities follow Islington’s lead in the fight against carbon dioxide and the other exhaust-pipe pollutants which do so much damage to health in the UK.” Ends
Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008