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Owners of electric and zero-emission vehicles will soon be able to flaunt their eco-status with a specialist ‘green number plate’ under plans currently being drawn up by Government.
Creating the specialist plates was an idea was put forward in the Carbon Neutral Roadmap, the Government’s plan to get Jersey to net-zero carbon emissions within just decades.
It contained a commitment to "ensure that, from 1 January 2023, owners of electric vehicles have the option to display a number plate that features a green marker as a visible signifier of their contribution to tackling the climate emergency."
The strategy document added that the "green signifier may be extended to number plates for other types of zero-emission vehicles in future."
The idea was included despite some backlash when the plans went out for consultation.
While some respondents felt the idea had merit, and a number went so far as to suggest that black number plates should be introduced to indicate the most polluting vehicles, others suggested it was tokenistic and divisive.
Pictured: Some criticised the Carbon Neutral Roadmap policy as tokenistic and divisive.
The then-Environment Minister Deputy John Young stood by the policy, noting that there is “no cost associated” with delivering it, and that it would make a “useful contribution to raising awareness and the profile of EVs.”
Work is now underway to bring the policy into force.
This month, new Infrastructure Minister, Deputy Tom Binet, who is responsible for transport, signed off on instructions to law drafters to tweak the Motor Vehicle Registration (General Provisions) (Jersey) Order 1993 to ensure that only those with genuinely low-emission vehicles are able to use the number plates.
Green number plates are already in force in the UK, having first been introduced in December 2020.
At the time of their launch, the then-Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said the new vehicle registration plates could also be used to "unlock a number of incentives for drivers", such as cheaper parking and free entry into zero-emission zones.
Video: The UK Government launched the policy just under two years ago.
The UK version of the scheme allows the ‘green plates’ to be retro-fitted to any existing vehicles, including cars, vans, buses, HGVs, taxis and motorcycles, provided that they emit no CO2 emissions at the tailpipe.
The design consists of a green ‘flash’ on the left-hand-side of the number plate, which the UK Government said could be combined with the Union flag and other national identifiers already permitted.
To encourage further EV use, the Carbon Neutral Roadmap also committed the Government to allocating £4.3m to create a scheme to subsidise the purchase of 1,200 electric vehicles, up to £3,500 on vehicles under £30,000, with the incentive linked to the price of the vehicle.
Express explores the detail of the Carbon Neutral Roadmap with senior policymaker Steve Skelton. Listen to the podcast below or find it on your favourite pod provider by searching 'Bailiwick Podcasts'...
Pictured top: An example of a green number plate on an electric vehicle in the UK.
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