Jersey's Climate Questions: How do we make transport sustainable?
Jersey has committed to going carbon neutral by 2030 and has formed a Citizen's Assembly to help decide how to achieve that.
Emissions from transport are the biggest contributor to the island's carbon footprint at 44%.
What's the scale of the problem?
What's being done by the government?
Central to the government's plan to bring down emissions is introducing sustainable transport.
Back in 2019 they outlined a ten year plan Sustainable Transport Plan, including improving cycle lanes and pedestrian routes around the island.
In November last year the government announced that the pandemic has delayed progress.
New under-cover cycle parking at Sand Street car park was completed last year and there are plans for similar facilities as well as bike cleaning points elsewhere.
Consultation is underway for an east to west cycleway.
However there is frustration from some Cycle4Jersey campaigners that the government is not acting fast enough.
Buses are another area of focus but they have taken a major hit in the last year as people turned away from using public transport during the pandemic. Money has been set aside to help Liberty Bus recover but there are no plans to make it cheaper to travel on them. A proposal for free buses for under 21s was turned down earlier this year.
What are islanders doing?
Islanders are already making steps towards greener transport. E-bikes are becoming increasingly popular and so too are electric vehicles. There are now over a thousand fully electric cars on the road, which has more than doubled in the last year.
A number of major organisations including the States of Jersey Police, Jersey Post and JT have all introduced electric vehicles into their fleet. Jersey Electricity has installed 75 charging points around the island, although only six provide a rapid charge in under an hour. However the government has not provided any funding towards the charging infrastructure or for grants to help people purchase an electric car, as exists in the UK.
EV Sales, the island's first and only fully electric car trader says more government incentives are needed to encourage people to make the switch.
Electric vehicle (EV) drivers can apply for a discounted parking permit and they are also exempt from vehicle emissions duty (VED).
As the government's Director of Environmental Policy, Dr Louise Magris explains, with the growing number of EVs, the States will need to find an alternative source of revenue to VED.
What are your ideas for sustainable transport?
You can join in the discussion online via Jersey's Climate Conversation.