£200,000 has been set aside to help upgrade to electric cars and less harmful diesel models
TAXI drivers say that grants available to help improve air quality in Cardiff are not enough to help them upgrade their cars.
A total of £200,000 has been set aside to help hackney carriage drivers trade up to electric cars, or modern diesel models.
Since 2012, the World Health Organisation has classified diesel engine exhaust as “carcinogenic to humans”.
About 700 taxi drivers operate in Cardiff and as Cardiff council says the average driver clocks up between 25,000 and 45,000 miles each year, air quality is affected if they drive older models.
The grant offers up to £10,000 towards buying an electric car, and £5,000 or £6,000 for upgrading to a modern diesel engine.
“For my point of view, upgrading is too expensive. Some people like it, but I can’t afford to,” said Mohammed Nawaz.
“I start at 11am and only get two jobs, the work conditions are very poor. I can’t afford a new car even with the council money.”
A new LEVC’s TX, which is a popular electric black cab, costs around £65,000.
“I think it is a good idea. I will try to get it; it is an investment because an electric car will be cheaper for me,” said Salman Akhtar, one of Cardiff’s hackney carriage drivers.
“Some people have used it already. That car over there is electric, which is really good.”
Euro standards limits the amount of emissions that can come from new vehicles. Euro 6 was introduced in 2015, and limits the emissions of nitrogen oxides to 0.08g/km. To upgrade to a Euro 6 diesel engine, drivers can apply for £6,000 if their current car is Euro 3, and £5,000 its a Euro 4 or 5 standard car.
The grant is part of the council’s One Planet Cardiff response to climate change, which has seen carbon emissions cut by 18% since it launched in 2019.
“These grants help support the de-carbonation of Cardiff’s taxi fleet and puts this vital component in the city’s transport network on the road to a cleaner, greener future,” said Councillor De’Ath.
“Transport accounts for around a third of the carbon emissions created in Cardiff, and the negative health impacts of air pollution is well-documented.”
- The progress of the One Planet Cardiff strategy will be discussed by Cardiff Council’s cabinet on Thursday, February 27.
- To apply for the Cardiff Hackney Emissions Reduction Grant Scheme click here.
