Minicab driver's fury over recharging problems in East Cleveland
MINICAB driver Albert Wilson wants changes at an East Cleveland plug-in facility.
Sprightly Albert, 84, says when he goes to recharge his vehicle at the South View car park in Loftus he often can’t get near the plug-in point as cars are parked in adjacent bays.
He claims he often has to position his Minicab on a nearby grass verge to enable the lead and plug to reach his vehicle to recharge it at the Redcar and Cleveland Council-run site.
Dad-of-four and grandad-of-nine Albert, who’s been a Minicab driver for 56 years, says the solution is simple.
He said: “The council has installed a sign more than 10 feet high which people can’t read easily saying electric vehicle recharging point.
Commonsense says what’s needed is a parking bay painted and designated only for use by electric vehicle owners for recharging.
“I’ve repeatedly asked the council to do this, but nothing’s happened.
“There is only one correctly marked-out council area for electric recharging and that’s at Guisborough off Rectory Lane.
“At Marske, on Windy Hill Lane, the situation is the same as at Loftus.”
Albert, of Coronation Road, Loftus, is a private hire Minicab driver who operates a Toyota Prius electric and petrol hybrid for four passengers.
He bought the vehicle as he’s a committed environmentalist and, when his electric motor is operating, his emissions are zero.
He said: “I’ve had the vehicle since October and they cost about £35,000. But the Government gives all electric car owners £5,000 towards the cost of buying a new vehicle. The borough council should be promoting this green energy scheme in the same way.”
Helen McLuckie, Cabinet member for highways, said: “We’ll shortly be marking the car park surface ‘electric vehicles only’ at the front of the bays.” She said there was “currently no provision in law to allow the council to reserve parking spaces for charging of electric vehicles.” But they were looking at introducing a legal order to create designated electric spaces borough-wide.
source: http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -33038789/
