ULEZ discounts to help drivers extended to all residents in Richmond

Transport discounts introduced to help Richmond drivers with the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has been extended to include all residents. Richmond Council originally launched the 'good move' scheme to provide discounts on public transport, bikes and car sharing to drivers considering replacing their non-compliant cars due to the ULEZ expanding to cover the whole of London on August 29.

The council's transport committee agreed to add more options to the scheme and extend it to all Richmond residents on a first-come-first-served basis on June 10. The offer now includes up to £50 riding credit for new members of e-bike company Lime and a 50 per cent discount on the first year of renting a cycle hangar to slash the cost from £72 to £36, along with offering £48 for a first-year membership of electric vehicle charging network Source London.

Most of the options provided in the original scheme will be offered to all residents - including a one-year free membership and £50 driving credit at car-sharing clubs Enterprise and Zipcar, along with a free trial with cycle loan scheme Peddle My Wheels and a discount if a bike is bought after the trial. However, the £50 Oyster cards offered in the original scheme are no longer available.

A report by council officers said 168 households applied to the original scheme, with 149 applications successfully processed. A survey of the applicants revealed around 127 households have already got rid of their non-compliant vehicles, while all respondents said they use their cars less or no longer drive at all. One respondent said: "The prospect of one year's free car club membership was material in my decision to scrap my little Peugeot."

Another added: "I'm really pleased to have given up my car. I now cycle and use public transport and have, on three occasions, rented a Zipcar, which worked well. I didn't use my car a lot before I decided to get rid of it but I did use it."

The report said the discounts will be available 'as resources allow' and the council can amend or discontinue any options if there are a 'disproportionate number of applications for a single service'. The authority will provide the offers directly through the suppliers.

The report added: "The discounts... are intended to provide a broad cross section of offers that support sustainable travel, including more sustainable car travel."

The council set aside a budget of £135,000 in February last year to fund the scheme. A total of £28,900 was spent on the scheme in the 2023/24 financial year, which means there is £106,100 to continue to fund it.

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