22 May 2019
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Politics – News from the Green Party in Cork
The Green Party in Cork has said Cork City Council should consider areas in the new expanded city boundary as locations for new electric car charging points.
The Government recently announced that it is to invest €20m in high-powered charging units across the country. Director of roads, Gerry O’Beirne, has said Cork City Council is set to carry out a review of its electric car charging points in city centre car parks and at the Black Ash park and ride.
However, the Green Party says consideration should be given to charge points outside of the city centre in the newly brought-in suburbs and business parks.
Oliver Moran, the Green Party candidate in the Cork City North East ward, said there are no electric car charging points in Glanmire or Ballincollig or at the airport:
“There’s a contradiction in concentrating charging points on the city centre. On one hand, we’re trying to encourage people to use more public transport and cycling to access the city centre then on the other hand we are telling them to drive in to charge their cars.”
“There are people without off-street parking at their homes for whom public charging points are the only realistic option. They need them in locations convenient to their homes. But people also need charging points at their place of work and in their own neighbourhoods without driving into the city centre.”
“Some of the new areas coming into the city boundary also have a strong sense of their own identity, such as Ballincollig and Glanmire. That identity is something that should be encouraged as the basis for sustainable neighbourhoods. Having facilities like public charging points in these localities is a way of reinforcing that.”
