Sustainable transport success for Brighton and Hove City Council!
Brighton and Hove City Council have been recognised for their commitment and efforts in the field of sustainable mobility as winners of the CIVINET PRISM Award 2011.
The CIVINET PRISM Award highlights the most outstanding, ambitious and innovative schemes in the field of sustainable urban mobility in the UK and Ireland. Winners are showcased as examples of excellence. They inspire other cities and provide models to guide and stimulate development of sustainable mobility initiatives in the UK and Ireland. The European Commission's CIVITAS Programme has helped 58 demonstration cities implement ambitious measures to achieve more sustainable transport systems. Through the CIVINET UK & Ireland Network, good practice and lessons learned are disseminated to a wide range of local authorities and transport practitioners. The CIVINET UK & Ireland Network has been recognised as a key transport organisation for local authorities. Transport Minister Norman Baker endorsed the CIVINET UK & Ireland Network in his keynote speech at last year's event saying, As members of CIVINET here today, you've demonstrated your capacity to innovate and your commitment to transport being smarter and more sustainable. You've also shown leadership in successfully delivering sustainable travel initiatives in your local areas and coming together to share them with other local authorities.The PRISM Award 2011 was presented to the council at CIVINET's Second Annual Sustainable Mobility Convention on 15 June 2011 at Broadway House, Tothill Street, London. The Brighton and Hove electric vehicle charging point scheme began in February 2010 and was the first project of its scale in the UK outside London. There are currently 6 on-street electric vehicle charging points available to vehicle users.A registration scheme for UK residents has been set up by the council and charging point supplier. A trial period is underway offering incentives to encourage drivers to switch to electric vehicles, including free registration, parking and electricity whilst vehicles are recharging.Brighton & Hove is the only city in the country to have gained funding for such a project from the EU's CIVITAS Archimedes project; and is working with five other cities in Europe to share best practice, experience and skills.Brighton & Hove City Council's deputy leader and Cabinet Member for Transport and the Urban Realm, Councillor Ian Davey, said, Our vision is to make Brighton & Hove the UK's greenest city and we are committed to achieving a clean and energy-efficient transport system. We're working with other cities and countries to share expertise and best practice. It's exciting to think that what we do here will influence future transport policy, not only in the UK but also in Europe.The council has also gained external funding for a number of other sustainable transport initiatives, including road safety projects and public transport information for visually impaired people. Become a member of the CIVINET UK & Ireland Network and gain access to the forefront of industry know-how at a local level.
Author: Alastair Byers
