Licence boost for greener taxi firms
Electric cab ... Alan Ashton of Express Taxis holds the first ever South Tyneside taxi licence plate for an electric vehicle while Coun Jimr Perry looks on.
COUNCIL bosses are offering a cash boost for South Tyneside taxi firms who go green.
South Tyneside Council is the only authority in the region offering free taxi licences to operators who use electric cars as part of their private hire fleet.
The move is part of the council’s commitment to the low carbon agenda, helping to improve air quality and making the borough a cleaner and greener place.
Alan Ashton, owner of Express Taxis in Jarrow, is the first operator to benefit from the innovative scheme, and has been given a free licence – worth £283 a year – for two years for his Nissan Leaf.
He said: “Express Taxis are delighted to be the first taxi operator in the borough of South Tyneside to offer an all-electric vehicle for the benefit of our customers. These vehicles are pollution-free and, as such, friendly to the environment.
“We would like to thank South Tyneside Council and, in particular, the licensing department for the tremendous support in establishing electric vehicles in the borough.”
Presenting Mr Ashton with the first electric taxi licence plate, Coun Jim Perry, the council’s lead member for neighbourhoods and environment said: “This excellent scheme clearly demonstrates the council is working with the trade to encourage and promote use of cleaner-fuelled vehicles.
“Electric and plug-in hybrid cars are a vital part of our low-carbon strategy. This innovation proves that here in South Tyneside we embrace the newest technologies and we are an environmentally-friendly place at the forefront of change and development.
“The council’s licensing service is keen to build on this opportunity to promote the use of electric cars by the trade in the hope other licensees may follow suit.”
South Tyneside has 360 licensed private hire vehicles and 236 hackney carriages. The offer is open to the first five licensees who purchase and licence an electric car.
source: http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/lice ... _1_3652033
