Durham council plan to make electric vehicle infrastructure more accessible

Durham County Council is hosting an open to research how they can make electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure more accessible to those with disabilities. 

Many people are concerned about the potential implications of switching to an electric vehicle, especially disabled people who may be reliant on private vehicles as their main form of transport. 

In light of this, Durham County Council is hosting a gathering at Sniperly Park next week (October 6) where individuals can trial a mock-up of an electric vehicle charging device. 

The aim of the event is to test out the accessibility of the mock-up unit, particularly focusing on those with impaired mobility, including wheelchair users. 

The council will gather feedback from participants which will then help to inform current and future development work. 

Cllr Mark Wilkes, the cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said: ‘The use of electric vehicles brings huge benefits, including reduced pollution for our environment and reduced refuelling costs for drivers, which is why we hope to bring about new developments with more electric charging points in the county in the coming years.

‘As a council, we have pledged to take action to reduce the county’s carbon emissions and learning more about how easy members of the public find it to use charging points will help us to see where we can improve our offering of this facility for drivers with disabilities.’

The event will form part of work on the ‘Electric Vehicle Charge-Point Guidance Development Project’ for accessible public EV Charging facilities, on behalf of the council, the SOSCI (Scaling On-Street Charging Infrastructure) Project and its partner organisations.

It is planned to run between 11 am and 3 pm, with attendees allocated a 30-minute time slot to visit based on their availability. Attendees are asked to provide their details and preferences for a time slot.

Photo by Robert Ruggiero