Greener transport

SIR – The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill was a welcome inclusion in this year’s Queen Speech. Ministers should be applauded for taking action to ensure that Britain remains a world-leader in new industries.

The benefits of electric vehicles are significant. They emit no carbon dioxide and particulate emissions at the point of use, helping to reduce transport-related air pollution.

Headquartered in London, Sharing Cities is a pan-European programme working across the continent to help realise electric vehicles’ potential. It is bringing together innovators, city governments and businesses to obtain €500 million of private investment in our cities over the next three years.

In London it is testing electric logistics vehicles; in Lisbon an e-bike network is being piloted; in Milan electric charging points are being installed. The initiative is allowing the cost of testing new technologies to be shared, and is using economies of scale to reduce the price for taxpayers.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is looking at how we can switch as many non-essential car trips as we can to walking, cycling and public transport. In order to achieve the Government’s aim of “almost every car and van to be zero-emission by 2050”, remaining journeys must be carried out in the cleanest vehicles possible. Collaboration on solutions between cities is essential. We call on the Government to support this approach. Catherine Bearder MEP (Lib Dem) Julie Girling MEP (Con) Baroness Deech (Crossbench) Baroness Blackstone (Lab) and 11 others; see telegraph.co.uk