Shaw's Brow disabled spaces converted to charging points

The six converted spaces can still be used by blue badge holders

Six disabled parking spaces in a multi-storey car park in the Isle of Man's capital have been converted to electric vehicle charging points.

In a joint project between Douglas Council and Manx Utilities the facilities have been installed at Shaw's Brow, on Church Street.

A spokesman for the council said the spaces had been chosen due to a lack of usage by blue badge holders.

The spaces would still be open to disabled drivers, he said.

An additional five disabled parking spaces remain available exclusively to blue badge holders elsewhere in the car park, he added.

Councillor Falk Horning said the charging points were in response to a growing number of people switching to greener cars, and the move was a welcome one in terms of the government's environmental targets.

Manx Utilities' Mark Christian said the installation was part of a drive to make charging points more widely accessible.

The central location of the car park would be useful for many households that do not have off-street parking and therefore no immediate access to a charging point, he added.

The government-owned utilities provider currently has 85 charging points available across the island.