EVA England is issuing a final call for drivers to take part in its national cross-pavement charging survey.
With just days left, drivers with or without off-street parking have been requested to share their experience, and influence the future of fair access to home charging.
The survey, launched in December following the UK Government commitments on tackling the UK’s charging divide, it is collecting real-world evidence from drivers without off-street parking: a group that makes up around 40% of UK households.
Early results already reveal that a strong majority of respondents say they currently do not have access to cross-pavement charging, it said.
This is despite most saying that cross-pavement solutions would meet their current living circumstances, whilst many report that such solutions are simply not permitted or available through their local council, even where demand is high.
These interim findings reinforce the scale of the challenge facing drivers without driveways, who are far more likely to rely on expensive public charging and therefore face higher running costs than those able to charge at home.
The survey was launched after significant progress in Parliament on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which delivered two major Government commitments: a formal consultation on extending permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging, and a commitment for Ministers to write to all local authorities urging them to support the installation of these solutions.
Alongside these changes, the new £25m cross-pavement charging fund, these changes create a unique opportunity to close the charging divide, but only if policy reflects the lived reality of drivers on the ground.
Vicky Edmonds, Chief Executive of EVA England, said:
“The charging divide between those who have driveways and those who do not is stark and the early results of this survey could not be clearer. Most drivers without driveways still can’t access cross-pavement charging even when they overwhelmingly tell us they believe it would work for their homes and their lives.
“What’s stopping them is not practicality, but policy: local rules, delays and outright refusal by some councils. This survey is a chance for drivers to put that evidence directly in front of Government while decisions on how to make sure all drivers can access affordable charging are being made.”
The survey closes at midnight on Sunday. It takes less than five minutes to complete here.
Image from Shutterstock
