Motorists in Coventry are being offered £3,000 worth of mobility credits in exchange for scrapping their cars.
The pilot initiative, which is the first of its kind, has been set up by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) in Coventry, where six car owners have taken up the offer so far. TfWM hopes the scheme will help to reduce traffic congestion and improve local air quality.
The mobility credits can be used to cover the cost of alternative transport, including buses, trains, taxis and car hire for two years. Mohammed Fasiuddin was one of the first customers. He told the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) it was time to ditch his Citroen C1.
He said: “I was a little sad to see the car go, but I haven’t been using it as much as I used to before Covid. I’m working from home more now so the offer came at the right time for me to get rid of it.
“It is a good deal with £3,000 to use for public transport, or a taxi or Uber or a hire car – I have a bus stop two minutes away which is very convenient. And I no longer need to worry about the car breaking down or failing the MOT and a huge repair bill at the garage.”
His Citroen was collected by Car Take Back and taken to a recycling facility in Wolverhampton. Around 95 percent of the car will be recycled.
West Midlands ‘climate emergency’
TfWM says there is capacity to remove 250 vehicles from the road over the next two years. Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The West Midlands is facing a climate emergency, and tackling that means reducing air pollution and finding ways to encourage people to cut out unnecessary private car journeys in favour of public transport or active travel such as cycling and walking.
“Our innovative mobility credits scheme helps do exactly that, and I would like to thank the volunteers like Mohammed and his family who are making this bold step to change their travel habits and setting an example for others as to how everyone can do their bit to help the West Midlands reach its #WM2041 target of carbon neutrality by 2041.
“Drivers will only leave their cars if suitable alternatives are available, and that’s why we are investing billions in public transport and active travel, as well as trialling these new innovative schemes.”
The scheme is open to residents of Coventry who own a car more than 10 years old.
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