Cities’ eyes of green
- Eight cities shortlisted for £20M plug-in taxi investment;
- Each get £30,000 feasibility studies on cleaner transport;
- Final government decision expected April 2016.
EIGHT cities short-listed for the government’s £20M investment in plug-in taxis will all get a Whitehall funded study into providing more environmentally-friendly travel opportunities in their area.
The studies will gather vital information into how local authorities could use the money to reduce the upfront cost of purpose-built taxis and install charging infrastructure for taxi and private hire use.
The eight shortlisted bids are from:
- Birmingham City Council
- Cambridge City Council
- Coventry City Council
- Dundee City Council
- Nottingham City Council
- Oxford City Council
- Sheffield City Council
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority
The government will announce the winning schemes in April next year.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Plug-in taxis are cheaper to run, better for the environment and an example of Britain leading the way in an innovative industry. That is why government is investing £500M in low emission vehicles over the next 5 years to make them an accessible and affordable choice for all.
“These cities have shown they are commitment to adopting greener technology and the government is backing their ambition by showing the benefits a share of £20 million of funding could deliver.”
Today’s announcement is the latest example of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) helping support the government’s aim for every car and van to be zero emissions by 2050.
The eight feasibility studies, each backed by £30,000 of government funding, will be independently carried out by the Energy Saving Trust (EST).
