2022-02-08
In Question Time today, Jo Clay asked Andrew Barr if he would consider including e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and other electric transport in our Sustainable Household Loan Scheme. He responded that he did not intend to include them in the scheme due to their low cost.
“Lots of Canberrans want to do the right thing by the climate, and are struggling to meet their transport costs. An e-bike or e-cargo bike would fix these problems.
“Andrew Barr said that access to capital is not a major barrier to purchasing an e-bike, but to many people, it is a barrier. E-bikes are a great way of replacing a car or the second family car. But to get reliable transport, you might need an e-bike with a longer range battery, or an e-cargo bike that can carry the shopping or a couple of kids. These cost more than $2000. They should be included in the Sustainable Household Loan Scheme.
“Despite what Andrew Barr believes, $2000 is a lot of money to many Canberrans. If you’re a student, someone on welfare, or if you work part time, you may not be able to afford the upfront payment of an e-bike or e-cargo bike, most of which are over $2000.
“I’m disappointed that Andrew Barr thinks $2000 is not a barrier. This belief is locking a lot of Canberrans out of a government scheme that would make their lives better and reduce climate emissions at the same time.
“The ACT Greens want people to be able to change their transport habits, and it’s the ACT Government’s responsibility to help them do it.”
Background: Micro-mobility electric transport includes e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, e-scooters and other options. None of these are covered by the Sustainable Household Scheme.