Is it ethical for States to promote company?

Let's look at the coverage: front page and supporting articles in the Press, radio and media advertising, posters and poster handout facility and reserved areas in Town for display purposes throughout the week.

How much would a promotion like that cost a business in Guernsey?

Who is really benefiting from all this? For a machine that costs around $10,000, I don't think any of us.

Would a Guernsey business be looked after quite so well by the States of Jersey?

NAME AND ADDRESS WITHHELD

Editor's footnote: A spokesperson for the Traffic and Highway Services replies:

Many thanks for giving us the opportunity to respond to your reader's comments.

Following on from the recent private electric vehicle open day which was held at Vazon and where the electric motorcycle was on display, the owner of the motorcycle offered Traffic and Highway Services the opportunity to have the bike for a longer period to help promote the use of electric vehicles, the emerging technology and the environmental benefits as highlighted in the Guernsey Press's articles published on Saturday 25 July and again on Wednesday 27 July.

You reader is correct in as much as the owner of the e motorcycle is the Channel Islands dealer for this brand of electric motorcycle, there is no other sole brand electric motorcycle representation on Guernsey so there is little opportunity to see electric motorcycles on the island. While there are a number of local motorcycle dealers whose own franchises have electric motorcycles within their product range, the availability of these is currently limited hence the opportunity to raise awareness of the technology and the environmental benefits that electric vehicles provide fits well within the Integrated Transport Strategy. The Guernsey franchised motorcycle dealers that have showed an interest in the e-motorcycle have been supportive of the initiative.

Your reader makes a comment regarding the cost to advertise this product. We can advise that there have been no external paid for advertising; the 12 or so posters that your reader refers to were produced and printed at low cost using internal resources. Product leaflets were supplied free by the owner of the motorcycle.

Regarding the two areas that were used for the two one-hour static displays, these are public motorcycling parking areas that are available free for all motorcyclists to park and were not specifically reserved for the static display. The motorcycle was simply parked in a space that was free at that time and did not impinge on motorcycle parking in the areas at all.

With regard to your reader's comment in respect of who is benefiting from this I can answer as follows. As new technology continues to emerge and more mainstream brands produce vehicles, whether they be motorcycles or other motor vehicles, the beneficiaries will be current and future residents of Guernsey. As these technologies continue to be developed, whether they be electric, hydrogen fuel cell, bio fuels, hybrid or other technology, ultimately they will produce much less or in many cases zero emissions which will provide more sustainable motoring for years to come. The use of cleaner vehicles will also help to reduce the burden on health and social care as the environment becomes cleaner due to noxious vehicle emissions being reduced.

Finally, your reader's last question in relation to 'Would Jersey States look after a Guernsey business in such a way' should ideally be directed to the States of Jersey.

However, in these days of closer working relationships and collaboration between the two islands, it is hoped that cross-island initiatives may prove more popular.