Skint North Lanarkshire Council drive green road to save cash

Apr 21 2011 by Euan McLelland, Hamilton Advertiser

NORTH Lanarkshire Council have approved the purchase of 12 low-carbon Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicles – which will cost taxpayers over £320,000.

The council are splashing out on trendy environmentally-friendly cars to help reduce their carbon footprint and fuel costs as they transport members between buildings.

Eyebrows will be raised that the council is spending the money when it is looking to save £55 million by axing jobs across the board.

The move, backed by a £215,000 grant from Transport Scotland, will buy 12 electric cars from Phoenix Mitsubishi in Edinburgh – using £108,000 of the council’s own environmental services budget.

The cars are not being purchased as direct replacements for the council’s petrol-fuelled cars, which will continue to be used as pool cars alongside the electric vehicles.

The Transport Scotland grant will pay for the difference in price between the two cars, with the council funding the initial £9000, meaning only £185,559.96 of the grant will be used to purchase the vehicles.

The remaining £29,440.04 will be spent on infrastructure and charging posts.

Kenneth Wilson, head of land services at North Lanarkshire, said they were purchasing electric cars as part of the pool car scheme and was designed to reduce mileage paid to employees.

“We expect this extension to generate additional savings of over £150,000 in the 18 months after its introduction.”