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

  • Mott MacDonald and TfL work on cycling forecasting tool
    May 24, 2018
    Mott MacDonald is collaborating with Transport for London (TfL) on a cycling demand model called Cynemon. The forecasting tool is intended to help present the case for cycling infrastructure investment in the capital. Additionally, the partners will utilise the model to provide evidence for cycling studies which could include patterns of cycling trips and how these would change through new cycling schemes. The tool forms part of the healthy streets approach of the Mayor’s transport strategy, which ai
    Read More
  • Perfect Data launches ride-hailing app in UK
    May 17, 2019
    Perfect Data has launched a ride-hailing app across the UK which it says will provide local authorities with a map of all vehicles operating in their areas. Darren Tenney, founder of Perfect Data, says Xooox [pronounced ‘Zooks’] will allow regulators to see what’s happening at street level. “At last they will have the power to take action against unlicensed, banned or out of jurisdiction drivers,” he continues. “This will not only help keep passengers safe, it will help protect the income of the hundred
    Read More
  • UK local authorities to get share of US$128 million transport fund
    January 6, 2014
    Sustainable transport schemes across England could benefit from a multi-million boost in funding, thanks to the Department for Transport. Local authorities had until 23 December 2013 to bid for a US$128 million slice of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. Minister for Transport Baroness Kramer said: “We have seen some real success stories from previous winning schemes so I am looking forward to considering the plans that are put forward. Earlier successful schemes addressed a variety of sustainable
    Read More
  • TRL to lead project to encourage wider adoption of plug-in vehicles
    September 11, 2015
    The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has appointed TRL, the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory, to lead its Consumers, Vehicles and Energy Integration (CVEI) project. The US$8 million project will examine how the UK energy system needs to adapt in order to accommodate and encourage greater adoption of plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. The project aims to understand the required changes to existing infrastructure, as well as consumer response to a wider introduction of plug-in hybrid and el
    Read More

Highlighted Content