Coventry is piloting a scrappage project aimed at getting polluting cars off the road
Drivers in Coventry are now taking advantage of a unique opportunity to be paid up to £3,000 to give up their cars.
A Transport for West Midlands scrappage scheme is now up and running in the city offering drivers the chance to hand over their motor and get a financial boost.
Motorists can hand over their old polluting cars to be crushed for scrap in exchange for £3,000 worth of alternative travel arrangements in what is the first scheme of its kind in the UK.
The offer has already been taken up by six environmentally-conscious car owners – with dozens more lining up to take advantage of the offer.
The pilot initiative has been set up by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) in Coventry where drivers of ageing, high emission vehicles have been quick to take up the offer.
In exchange for scrapping their car, owners are given £3,000 worth of mobility credits to cover the cost of alternative transport including buses, trains, taxis and car hire over two years.
One of the first to wave goodbye to their car was mechanical engineer Mohammed Fasiuddin, from Foleshill.
The mobility credits scheme is currently open to people in Coventry who own a car more than ten years old.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council, said: “Coventry is in the vanguard of new technology and environmentally-friendly travel.
“Environmentally-friendly travel is the way forward and this is a great opportunity for people to give up their older polluting petrol and diesel cars and try it for themselves. It’s a great way to show people there are alternatives to the private motor car.”
The trial is funded from the £22 million Future Mobility Zone grant given to the region by the Department for Transport to develop and test new transport technology and schemes.
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:13 pm