DRIVERS have slammed a local council after electric vehicles were given free parking spots.
Kent town’s busiest car park has introduced a new scheme for greener driving.
Ashford Borough Council will trial the free parking for EVs at its 185-space Vicarage Lane site.
The council hopes it will encourage “more EV charging in a high-turnover car park”.
The scheme will take effect by summer and will be tested for six months.
But residents have been furious at the “unfair” rule as they continue to fork out £1.30 for every hour.
Chilham’s Georgie Lancaster, 31, told KentOnline: “It’s definitely unfair because it should be the same for everybody.
“I come into town to do my nails once a week, and over the course of a month, [the parking] is like £12, so why should some not have to pay that when most of us do?”
EVs that use the parking spots will have to be charging their cars, paying 60p per kilowatt-hour.
According to the council, the scheme will prompt more EV drivers to use the bays which will free up other spaces for motorists.
Cllr Paul Bartlett, a member of the council’s transportation board, told KentOnline: “People will argue it’s not really free because you’re paying for the electricity, but if you pay the £1.30 an hour for parking and then wish to charge your EV as well, then that’s too expensive.
“One of the reasons people are also not buying EVs is because there’s not enough charging points, so we just want to make it as easy and straightforward as we can.”
