Stafford Council nets cash for taxis

Stafford Borough Council joined forces with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council to bag £780,000 to provide charging points for ultra-low emission taxis in the three areas.

It will mean 10 rapid electric vehicle charges for each area following the successful bid from the £6m Taxi Infrastructure Investment Fund.

And Stafford Borough Council expects the move will encourage taxi and private hire operators to put cleaner vehicles on the roads.

The three local authorities worked together because of the number of cab journeys taking place across their borders - as well as trips between the rural and urban areas.

To support Stafford’s bid for the money the council was able to point to the considerable investment that has come, and is coming, to the area in regards of new homes and businesses.

Councillor Frank Finlay, Cabinet Member for Environment and Health, said: “We are pleased to have been successful, along with our fellow Staffordshire authorities, in securing this money which will make it easier and quicker for this type of taxi to charge.

“And, although we are not one of the councils required to take action on air pollution, this latest move will ensure we don’t stand still when it comes to improving our air quality.”

There are currently around 2,100 licensed private hire vehicles and 466 licensed Hackney carriages operating in the three areas. Only four per cent are hybrid cars or use alternative fuels. The government wants all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040.

Locations for the new charging points will be revealed later in the year.