London’s mayor launches fund to help retire polluting diesel taxis

In the latest in a series of measures to clean up London’s toxic air, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Transport for London (TfL) have launched a US£55 million (£42 million) fund to encourage the owners of the oldest, most polluting diesel black cabs to retire them from the Capital’s fleet. Taxis are a significant contributor to London’s toxic air quality, and are responsible for 16 per cent of NOx and 26 per cent of Particulate Matter (PM) road transport emissions in central London. From today, the own
July 28, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
In the latest in a series of measures to clean up London’s toxic air, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and 1466 Transport for London (TfL) have launched a US£55 million (£42 million) fund to encourage the owners of the oldest, most polluting diesel black cabs to retire them from the Capital’s fleet.  

 
Taxis are a significant contributor to London’s toxic air quality, and are responsible for 16 per cent of NOx and 26 per cent of Particulate Matter (PM) road transport emissions in central London.
 
From today, the owners of black cabs which are between 10 and 15 years old can check whether they are eligible for TfL’s ‘delicensing’ scheme and then apply for a grant of up to US$6,500 (£5,000) in exchange for retiring their taxi.  
 
The three-year scheme aims to speed up the process of tackling London’s filthy air, greening the Capital’s taxi fleet, and working towards the goal of making London a zero-carbon city by 2050.
 
No more new diesel taxis will be licensed in London from 1 January 2018, and a number of manufacturers are prioritising delivering new greener, state-of-the-art Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) taxis. The London Electric Vehicle Company is the first to confirm the opening of their order book, expected in August.
 
The Government’s Plug-in Taxi Grant, part-funded by the Mayor, will also give cabbies purchasing new ZEC taxis up to £7,500 towards the purchase of a new vehicle. When combined with a delicensing payment, drivers could have up to US$16,300 (£12,500) towards the purchase of a brand new ZEC taxi.
 
A greener fleet could reduce harmful NOx emissions from taxis by 45 per cent in central London by 2020, making a major contribution to cleaning up the city’s toxic air and preparing for the introduction of zero emission zones from 2025.

Urban Traffic Control Air Quality & Weather Systems

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New study on car scrappage schemes
    April 18, 2012
    Car fleet renewal schemes (cash for clunkers/car scrappage) introduced in the US, France and Germany fell short of their potential to deliver on environmental and safety objectives, according to a new report published by the International Transport Forum at the OECD and the FIA Foundation today.
    Read More
  • California to require all bus fleets to be zero-emission by 2040
    December 18, 2018
    The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved a statewide regulation which will require public transit agencies to gradually transition to fully zero emission buses by 2040. The Clean Transit regulation is expected to help transit agencies reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 19 million metric tonnes, nitrogen oxides by 7,000 tonnes and particulate matter by 40 tonnes from 2020 to 2050. CARB says the regulation will improve air quality, especially in low-income communities. It could also help
    Read More
  • Interactive digital map shows road collision history across London
    September 22, 2015
    London’s first interactive digital collision map has been launched by the Mayor and Transport for London (TFL) as part of a continued drive to improve road safety awareness to reduce the number of casualties in the capital. The London Collision Map uses extensive data, collected by the police and held by TfL, to shine a light on road collisions in local areas. This creates a useful new way to inform road users about junctions with high collision histories and aiding improvement work in line with TfL’s co
    Read More
  • New York mayor to reduce city’s vehicle fleet
    April 11, 2019
    New York’s mayor Bill de Blasio has signed an executive order to reduce the city’s on-road public sector vehicle fleet. The move is part of a commitment to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. The city will remove 1,000 vehicles from its fleet by June 2021 and reduce the number of take-home vehicles by at least 500. Additionally, it will replace at least 350 SUVs with electric plug-in sedans and promote greater vehicle efficiency by using advanced data collection. “Eliminating unnecessary vehicles fro
    Read More

Highlighted Content