Published on:
14
June 2011
The Council is gearing up to go greener with the first electric vehicle in its transport fleet.
Thanks to a Transport Scotland grant, a state-of-the-art 'green' street sweeper is operating in Alloa. The electric-run sweeper will help to keep streets clean while also reducing carbon emissions.
The grant has helped the Council to bridge the gap between the cost of a traditional vehicle and the more expensive electric vehicle. Thanks to the environmentally friendly sweeper, which has zero emissions, the Council will save over £30,000 over the next five years with a saving around 35 tonnes of fuel.
In CO2 reduction terms, the sweeper will cut the Council's output by around 95 tonnes per year.
Councillor Eddie Carrick, Sustainability Portfolio Holder, said: "This is an impressive machine and I'm sure it will assist in our efforts to keep our streets clean as well as reducing our contribution to climate change. The Council encourages sustainability across Clackmannanshire, and as a major employer we are proud to have set an excellent example by using a low carbon vehicle. One added advantage of this model is that it is virtually silent so can be used in Alloa town centre and other residential areas early in the morning without disturbing residents."
You are invited to send a photographer to High Street Alloa at 2pm on 15th June 2011 to see the new electric-run sweeper in action.
The Council agreed a Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy in September 2010.