EV driver hits out at lack of charging points across Redditch - The Redditch Standard

EV driver hits out at lack of charging points across Redditch

Redditch Editorial 10th Feb, 2022   0

AN ELECTRIC Vehicle (EV) driver has lambasted Redditch Council, claiming there are nowhere near enough charging points across the borough.

Denaz Uddin, who lives in Oakly Road, said he had even witnessed EV motorists fighting because they were left frustrated at the lack of places to charge their cars.

“By 2030 all of the cars sold will be electric so if we are going to have the infrastructure needed for all those extra EVs the council needs to step up what it is doing to help.”

Denaz, who works for a firm which sells electric vehicles so admits he has more of a vested interest than most in EVs, said the situation had got that bad in Redditch that three times-a-week he drives the 15 miles to Birmingham to charge his car up there.




“I grab a bite to eat and opt to work from Birmingham on those days as it is easier for me and less hassle.”

As well as not having enough charging points to start with, Denaz said many of the chargers were often out of order or not working properly.


“Sometimes I see several drivers waiting for the same charging points – we already need more to meet the demand and with hundreds more EVs being sold each year the situation will only get worse.

“In Birmingham they’ve gone from zero to hero in the way the council there has approached it – years ago they had hardly any and now they have loads in the city centre and in car parks and many of them are free.”

Denaz said he had spoken to several Redditch councillors about the issue and was told the authority was in talks with providers and something would be happening soon but still nothing had been done.

A Redditch Borough Council spokesperson said: “Providing and updating EV charging opportunities in Redditch is one of the council’s aims and we have set aside capital funding for this and are bidding for grant aid funding too.

“However it is a fast-changing market at the moment so it is essential that we spend this money in the best way for our residents so we are currently preparing a specification in order to procure the right company or supplier to help us to achieve our aims which we would hope will be within the next six months.”

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