More than £1million has been awarded to taxi owners in Glasgow to help comply with Low Emission Zones.
More than 100 taxis have now been successfully retrofitted with LPG engines. This is in preparation for Scotland’s Low Emission Zones (LEZs) which will be introduced by May 2022.
The Scottish Government funding is to retrofit non-LEZ compliant vehicles with Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) approved solutions, that meet the minimum proposed standards of the LEZs.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available to cover up to 80 per cent of the cost of a retrofit solution.
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said: “LEZs are crucial to protecting public health by improving air quality. With every taxi trip potentially eliminating the need for another private vehicle entering the city centre – it’s clear to see why having LEZ compliant taxis is an important and valued part of the sustainable travel mix.
“Funding will again be available in April 2021 and I encourage any taxi driver who is interested to find out more about the support on offer.”
An LPG engine is cheaper to run for taxi drivers, provides a quieter and smoother experience for passengers and provides cleaner air with reduced carbon dioxide emissions.
Taxi owner Donald Wilson said: “My taxi was retrofitted in early January 2020 and since then, I have had no issues to date and my fuel costs have been reduced by an average of 20 per cent.
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NOTTINGHAM
Taxi drivers have expressed their support for a new 20mph speed limit which could end up covering every road in Nottingham city centre.
Nottingham City Council will be starting a consultation on a number of traffic calming proposals, including the introduction of a 20mph limit across the city, as well as the permanent closure of the Victoria Embankment to motor vehicles.
Consultations on seven key proposals will be running until April 2.
Portfolio holder for transport, councillor Adele Williams, said the plans could help cut down on emissions as well as make neighbourhoods safer and quieter.
Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, a number of taxi drivers generally welcomed the plans for the new 20mph limit.
Azeem Hanif, the chairman of the United Private Hire Drivers union, said: "I think it is a mix of both, from a road safety perspective it is a great idea.
"But we have also got to consider the wider impact of traffic flow. When we are back to normal life it is going to be a real challenge. I think there could be a wider knock-on effect.
"The other question is what is the city going to do to enforce it? "It will make an impact getting to jobs, that slight length of time is going to make an impact to delivery time, but road safety is a great thing. Rather than being five minutes it will be seven minutes, so it would not be that bad.
"The vast majority of people would be in favour of it because we are heavily populated with narrow streets."
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/nottingham-taxi-drivers-back-plans-5180178
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DUBAI residents will look twice when the familiar curved silhouette of the famous London black cab appears on the roads of the emirate.
Aptly called “London taxi,” the vehicle launched in February and is being trialled at Dubai International Airport.
The eye-catching taxi features the famous black color and curved design of the British cab.
Managed by Dubai Taxi Cooperation, the eco-friendly taxis are based on a hybrid design using electricity and fuel.
“It is part of our strategic plan to boost the limousine sector and the taxi sector with a wonderful and a reliable car,” Mansoor Rahma Al-Falasi, CEO of Dubai Taxi Cooperation, told Arab News.
He said the new taxi will offer customers a greater choice of services.
“The London taxi is one of the newest features in our fleet.”
Along with its dual engine, the London taxi also has an accelerated braking system and a battery that can be recharged in only 30 minutes.
The cab’s roomy interior includes six seats in a separate cabin and access for disabled passengers.
The taxi is fitted with satellite-based navigation, voice command system, forward-collision warning system, blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning system in addition to WiFi.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1827736/offbeat
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