ROUND THE COUNCILS SOUTH RIBBLE: SWITCH TO EVs BRANDED UNFEASIBLE
There would not be enough electric charging points in South Ribble if all of the district’s taxi drivers were forced to switch to EVs, councillors have been told. The warning came in a report to a meeting of South Ribble Borough Council’s Licensing and Safety Committee, which heard that a lack of infrastructure could result in passenger demand not being met if an electric-only policy for taxis in the area was adopted. However, a second barrier to the introduction of an emission-free fleet also exists – in the form of the price and performance of wheelchair-accessible electric vehicles. Members were told that the cost of such vehicles remains prohibitively high and their travel ranges too low. They were shown examples of new or nearly new EVs that could accommodate wheelchairs, but which had price tags of over £60,000 and would run for only around 200 miles before needing a charge. Licensing manager, Chris Ward, said that they were “way out of price [reach] for our taxi drivers”. Second hand motors that fell within the council’s vehicle age policy were much cheaper, but even less feasible in terms of their range – with one for £24,000 lasting barely a hundred miles between charges. Mr. Ward described such options as “not fit for purpose” and said they risked leaving passengers’ needs unfulfilled.
He added that the duty placed upon the local authority to provide “a diverse fleet of vehicles” for residents was “just as important as working towards the council’s objectives for air quality”. The council has also pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030. However, the meeting heard that a change to the rules about the age of taxis permitted on South Ribble’s streets, which was made just over a year ago, had already served as an incentive for taxi drivers to purchase lower polluting vehicles. Almost all new taxis licensed since then have been“Euro 6”-rated vehicles, the only exceptions have been some larger taxis required for transporting people with special needs. Meanwhile, the number of hybrid taxis in South Ribble has more than doubled in the space of 15 months – from 10 to 26. The increase was put down to the decision last year to allow Euro 6 vehicles to be first licensed as taxis until they were six years of age and then remain licensed until they were 12 years old.
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That contrasts with the rules for Euro 4 cars, which have to be first licensed within four years and can stay on the roads until they are eight. The committee heard that there were still 11 already licensed taxis – all of the WAV or MPV type – that were not compliant with the new arrangements. A consultation will be carried out with the trade over a proposal to exempt those vehicles and allow them to remain licensed for up to 12 years, even though they are below Euro 6 standard – so that the diversity of the fleet in the borough can be maintained. The results of the consultation will be reported to the committee for consideration at a future meeting.
CHELMSFORD: TWENTY ELECTRIC TAXIS ON THE ROAD
Chelmsford City Council has granted 20 HC licences to EVs, making it the leading local authority for electric taxis in Essex. Other councils host between one and four EV taxis, if any. All 20 vehicles are brand new – with a range of models from MGs to Teslas. To encourage Chelmsford taxi drivers to make the change to EVs, the council’s Licensing Committee agreed to release ten special hackney carriage plates for saloons. The demand for these plates was so high that a further ten were then granted. Chelmsford licensing rules state that new hackneys must be wheelchair accessible. For EVs, this will add between £10,000–20,000 to the purchase price. So in order to make new EVs more obtainable for drivers, this limited run of EV plates waives the requirement to be wheelchair accessible. Demand from drivers is high, with over 40 expressing an interest in these limited EV plates. Cllr Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for a Greener and Safer Chelmsford, said: “Seeing these electric vehicles and their green hackney carriage licence markings is a very proud moment. It’s wonderful to see our city’s taxi drivers taking such pride in their cars and in their commitment to progress. “Our aspiration now is to see WAV electric taxis, and eventually for all vehicles in the fleet to use only clean energy. There is work to do to support this, such as installing more on-street charging stations, and of course within the current economic climate there will be challenges. “But, with so many drivers already on board and residents equally determined to improve the air quality in our city, I believe we will meet our goals.”
OCTOBER 2023 PHTM
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