A Highland Council van was left blocking a public charging point for electric vehicles for a month – at the authority’s own Inverness HQ.
The vehicle was abandoned in the council’s own car park behind its Glenurquhart Road headquarters.
Local parking wardens in Inverness spotted the violation and swiftly issued a fine, which remained tucked under a windscreen wiper for some time while it sat motionless.
Why was it left?
The squint vehicle was spotted multiple times by increasingly bemused councillor Patrick Logue – who raised the issue at a climate change committee meeting today.
The council has 52 charging points in depots across the Highlands – but sometimes public charging points are used for its electric vehicles.
This van is one of Highland Council’s 89-strong fleet, which is just 8% of the entire range. The rest use fossil fuel.
Council vehicles ‘regularly block EV charging points’, says councillor
Mr Logue stressed this was an “extreme example” – but claimed council vehicles regularly overstay their welcome at these spots.
“The council should be acting as an example when it comes to responsible use of public chargers,” he fumed.
“It just makes no sense. Highland Council are taking up spaces from people who need to use them…
“No one would block a petrol pump for days if they weren’t using it.”
What was the response?
Council officers said it was an “education issue”, and workers would be clued up on the correct etiquette.
It came as a council report outlined training targets due to be completed earlier this year have not been met.
Officers said all of the senior management have been trained in the council’s net zero agenda, and training for all other staff will now begin in due course.
The hope is the training will include electric charging protocols and ensure charging points are available for use when possible.
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