Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, has voiced his concerns that the universal employment of electric vehicle (EV) charging ‘gantries’, that protrude onto public walkways, could negatively impact the aesthetics of our streets. The gantries, designed in the Netherlands, were adopted chiefly by residents of historic properties in Dublin who lack driveways. Mounted on a post on the owner’s property, these extension arms position a charging cable 2.3m above a footpath, enabling resident’s EVs to charge without cables spread over the walkway. However, Dublin City Council has deemed the installation unauthorised. As per the council, such permanent structures at the front of a residence demands official approval, while extending into the pedestrian path also requires permission from the council’s environmental and transport department. The council expressed it won’t grant permission for such entities due to potential public liability. Despite acknowledging residents’ difficulties in charging their EVs, Mr. Ryan does not foresee a future where a gantry is installed at every home. He explained that while local authorities decide on the presence of charging arms area-wise, the notion of every home on a street having them would destroy street character. Mr. Ryan was addressing a conference on sustainable transportation in Dublin. He concluded that solutions must be sought for residences without off-street parking and flats, ensuring every EV owner can charge their vehicle. His preliminary solution is for local councils to establish on-street charging facilities, promising to provide financial backing to support this initiative.
“We are also contemplating the utilisation of a portion of our climate fund, and the carbon tax proceeds, to finance mobility hubs. Our objective is to erect roughly 200 such hubs, especially in urban core locations inhabited by individuals living in flats or terraced houses, where on-street charging is impractical.”
These hubs would facilitate communal car sharing as well as charging amenities, along with bike charging and sharing provisions,” he said. “We must explore solutions; it is simply unacceptable to neglect these communities.”