Going Green: How local authorities can encourage the take-up of lower-carbon vehicles

Date of report

November 2011

Author of report

RAC Foundation

Purpose of report

Local authorities have opportunities through their planning, traffic management and transport powers to influence, or ‘nudge’, the use of (U)LCVs in their respective areas. The RAC Foundation sought explore what these powers are, the level of appetite among local authorities for using them, and what experience of their use had been gained so far, both in the UK and continental Europe.

The RAC Foundation commissioned transport specialists SKM Colin Buchanan to investigate these issues further, with the key research question tackled being:

• What powers do local authorities have, whether transport/traffic, planning or otherwise, to encourage the adoption and use of low carbon vehicles in their areas and how are these being used in practice?

More specifically, answers were sought to the following questions:

• How do air quality targets and associated statutory obligations fit alongside the need to reduce vehicle tailpipe emissions?
• What are current local examples in the UK where incentives have been introduced through legislative powers, and what lessons can be learned from them?
• What is the appetite for, and attitude towards, using these powers amongst local authorities?
• What can we learn from continental European experience?

What SWM liked

We liked the detailing of the current situation in terms of Local Authority transport powers  backed up with evidence of where these are being put into practice in reality.

Contact information

For more links and details visit the RAC Foundation website.

Downloads

RAC Fondatation (PDF)