Incentives to boost the number of electric cars on the UK’s roads were announced by the Department for Transport earlier this week, in an attempt to encourage a greater uptake of the green vehicles.

Eight cities – London, York, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford, Derby and Dundee – have been awarded funding and will share a £40m kitty between them. The cities all have different plans for the funds, with Milton Keynes and Derby to permit the use of electric cars in bus lanes, Bristol offering free parking and York installing new recharge points at a solar-powered park-and-ride facility.

The new policy will also help to reduce the UK’s currently-illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution and to meet carbon budgets. A similar scheme, whereby the government subsidised £5,000 of every electric car purchased, was launched in 2011 and has proven very successful.

Transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: “I want to see thousands more greener vehicles on our roads and I am proud to back this ambition with £40m to help the UK become international pioneers of emission-cutting technology.”

At TrakRap, we fully support incentives which highlight the importance of sustainability in the UK. Positioning the country at the forefront of the electric car revolution is a great step to take as it sends out the message that we are fully committed to improving air quality and planning for the future.