A Lib Dem councillor says he wants “bold” action to encourage more taxi drivers to use electric or hybrid vehicles.
Cllr Paul Ray made his comments at a meeting of Lichfield District Council.
He told members in the chamber that the local authority should incentivise drivers to make the switch to greener travel options.
The Lib Dem group leader said:
“The objective of encouraging more electric vehicles among the taxis in this district is one measure we can take to improve the environment.
“I’d like the council to go further and be bold like in London where all taxis have to be non-diesel or petrol by 2033. I’d like this council to have a policy like that.”
Cllr Paul Ray
Current rules mean taxis must be changed once the vehicle reaches a certain age.
But Cllr Ray said incentives could be introduced to persuade drivers to go electric.
“The other thing is to stress that the taxi drivers say they want the life of the vehicle to be extended from seven years to a longer period.
“In London it’s 12 years and I understand the direction is to push that further to 15 years. That means those drivers who invest in modern, clean vehicles can recoup their investment over a longer period of time.
“A good taxi service is good for our community and if we had more electric and hybrid vehicles then that is good for our environment too.
“I hope these considerations are taken forward and seriously considered.”
Cllr Paul Ray
