The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has published preliminary guidance on how the £20m ultra low emission taxi scheme - first announced in April - will operate. The scheme forms part of the £500m package to grow the market for ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) from 2015-20.
The published document outlines the principles, and current thinking around how the scheme will be designed but is not a reflection of the final design of the scheme. It marks the beginning of a consultative process with those who have an interest.
OLEV wants feedback from local authorities, taxi and private hire companies and drivers, in particular, on this preliminary guidance, to develop principles so that the scheme can work in the best interests of all potential participants.
OLEV plans to run workshops in early 2015 about how the preliminary guidance will be developed.
The scheme will be open to local authorities, and will be available UK-wide. OLEV will provide funding for the infrastructure needed to support rollout of ultra low emission taxis in each region, which it anticipates could be
used by both taxis and private hire vehicles, depending on localrequirements.
Local authorities are also invited to bid for funding to help offset the additional cost of purpose-built ULEV taxis. The Government plans to get state aid clearance for a maximum funding cap per taxi. ULEV taxis will also qualify for the Plug-in Car Grant, so local authorities need only to “top-up” the grant offered to each vehicle, up to a maximum cap.This “top up” grant will only be available to purpose-built taxis which meet set disabled access criteria, and not regular cars used as private hire vehicles.