Calls for Exeter to be 'Gear Change' city

More cycle lanes, all-electric buses, fewer cars

Four Exeter city councillors - a Green, independent and two Lib Dems - who call themselves the Progressive Group are campaigning for the city to be designated a zero-carbon emissions transport city. Central government is going to fund at least one such city, to demonstrate to the rest of the UK what can be accomplished. A strategy called 'Gear Change' would introduce extensive bike lanes, an all-electric bus fleet and steering petrol and diesel vehicles away from the city centre.

The city council is already working with a campaigning group called Exeter City Futures with the aim of becoming carbon neutral and congestion-free by 2030, a date which has slipped back five years from original plans. Now the four Progressive Group councillors want Exeter City Council and Devon County Councils: "to work together and take advantage of a new government cycling and walking strategy which could see Exeter become a pioneering zero carbon emissions transport city." Exeter's leader, Labour's Phil Bialyk, has agreed to press the issue with Devon County Council. 

Green Party councillor Diana Moore said: “Exeter and Devon councils have both declared climate emergencies. Transport is now responsible for the largest chunk of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. This presents a huge challenge to meeting Exeter’s Net Zero 2030 pledge. But we have a great opportunity to become a city where shared and active forms of travel are cheaper, quicker and more convenient than private car ownership”.

Progressive Group leader, Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Mitchell, said: “The government is looking for at least one small to medium sized city to become a demonstration city. Exeter is therefore ideally placed to seize the opportunity offered by the government’s new cycling and walking strategy. We urge Exeter City and Devon County Councils to work together to put forward a bid to secure funding so we can demonstrate how zero carbon emissions from transport can be achieved.”

The Progressive Group also want to see Exeter become the ‘electric bike capital of the South West’. Jemima Moore, the independent councillor for Newtown and St Leonard’s, said: “We all know Exeter has quite a few hills! This can put some people off cycling. But electric bicycles make light work of our sometimes challenging terrain. Sales of electric bikes are surging across Europe and research suggests they are replacing car journeys and car ownership, especially among young people. Expanding electric bike hire schemes and offering interest free loans to help people purchase electric bikes, for example, could help usher in a transport revolution and make Exeter the electric bike capital of the South West.”