Chief Pleas put the brakes on plans for electric vehicles

Thursday 12 April 2018

A proposed consultation on introducing electric vehicles in Sark has been dismissed with the island's government concerned about the scale of efforts to introduce electric bikes, saying it could lead to cars also being allowed.

During this week's Easter Chief Pleas meeting the policy letter was "narrowly defeated" with Conseiller Reg Guille among those pleased it was thrown out saying a consultation on all electric vehicles rather than just electric bikes was a "Trojan Horse."

Currently, Sark's laws ban the use of cars and electric vehicles - with pushbikes, tractors and some mobility scooters the only motorised forms of transport allowed. A spokesman for The Road Traffic Committee had told Express last month that this was unlikely to change to include cars of any form but in its policy letter the Committee acknowledged: "While the original approach had been to look at the deregulation of ‘electric bicycles’ the Committee considered and agreed that the scope of the consultation should be widened to cover all electric vehicles, if only to gain an insight of the residents’ opinions."

That view wasn't shared by all members of Chief Pleas though, with The Road Traffic Committee told its plans for a consultation on introducing electric vehicles could not progress any further. However, Chief Pleas heard another motion may be brought to enable a consultation purely on the introduction of electric bicycles as The Committee had said that a number of people had supported some form of deregulation. 

Pictured: An electric bike, like the type which could be allowed in Sark in the future

As previously reported by Express, The Committee had not expected the consultation to lead to the introduction of electric cars in Sark, with Road Traffic Chairman, Conseiller Antony Dunks Chairman, telling Express last month that: "The request from the public was for the Road Traffic Committee to look at deregulating electric cycles. The Committee felt that if it was to go out to consultation the subject should be expanded to included all electric vehicles", with Conseiller Dunks adding "I do not expect there will be an appetite, nor willingness, on behalf of the residents of Sark for anything beyond electric cycles."