Motorists in Coventry will be given £3,000 of mobility credits to pay for public transport in exchange for scrapping their old polluting cars under a new pilot scheme.
The initiative by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK. It was originally announced in 2019 and was expected to be delivered that year.
Mayor Andy Street at Mainline Salvage car recycling centre in Wolverhampton
Drivers who scrap their old vehicles can receive the credits towards the cost of alternative transport including buses, trains, taxis and car hire over two years, in what is thought to be the first scheme of its kind in the UK.
The Mobility Credits scheme is currently open to people in Coventry who own a car more than 10 years old.
Around £1m is being put forward to the scheme from the £22m Future Mobility Zone grant, given to the region by the Department for Transport to develop and test new transport technology and schemes.
The cash was allocated under the region’s Future Transport Zone initiative and could see up to 250 high-polluting vehicles taken off the streets over the next two years.
Further trials are currently taking place via a Future Transport Showcase at the University of Warwick.
The offer has already been taken up by six environmentally-conscious car owners – with dozens more lining up to join.
TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), has argued the incentive will help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
Mechanical engineer Mohammed Fasiuddin has already turned in his 2006 Citreon C1, which he used for his 16-mile daily commute, to be crushed.
He said: 'I’m working from home more now so the offer came at the right time for me to get rid of it. It is a good deal with £3,000 to use for public transport, or a taxi or Uber or a hire car – I have a bus stop two minutes away, which is very convenient. And I no longer need to worry about the car breaking down or failing the MOT and a huge repair bill at the garage.'
His car was collected by scrappage and recycling firm Car Take Back which took it for crushing - 95% of the car will be recycled.
Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, said: 'The West Midlands is facing a climate emergency, and tackling that means reducing air pollution and finding ways to encourage people to cut out unnecessary private car journeys in favour of public transport or active travel such as cycling and walking.
'Our innovative mobility credits scheme helps do exactly that, and I would like to thank the volunteers like Mohammed and his family who are making this bold step to change their travel habits and setting an example for others as to how everyone can do their bit to help the West Midlands reach its #WM2041 target of carbon neutrality by 2041.
'At the same time as record investment in buses, rail, trams, and new safe cycle routes and a cycle hire scheme, we are also looking at creative solutions to our transport issues including the trials of e-scooters and demand-responsive bus services currently underway in Coventry.'
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