The government announced on 5th February plans to award local authorities more than £6m to help facilitate the shift to low emission taxis as a step towards their Road to Zero initiative.
The funds will be provided by the Department of Transport’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) to some 17 councils to install charging points for taxis. The plan is to install 46 fast chargers and nearly 300 rapid points in areas including Greater Manchester, Brighton & Hove, Leicester and across the north east.
The new charge points will be used by some 800 black cabs and more than 3,000 private hire vehicles, it is estimated.
Next Green Car’s website quoted the Future of Mobility Minister, Jesse Norman, as saying “The government wants all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emissions by 2040 … Today’s funding will support almost 4,000 ultra-low emission vehicles across the country. It is a further sign that the UK is making real progress in the transition to greener transport.”
The website also quotes Richard Harrington, the Automotive Minister: “The UK has led the world in cutting emissions while maintaining growth in our economy. These new charge points for greener taxis will help accelerate a cleaner environment for people across the UK.”