Basingstoke Boost: Taxi drivers handed £5,000 grants to buy LEVC electric taxis

Image credit: LEVC

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has launched a new initiative offering £5,000 grants to licensed taxi drivers looking to move to electric.

The move, approved by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 5 March, aims to introduce up to 17 new electric hackney carriages, promoting a greener and more accessible mode of transportation within the borough.

The scheme targets the acquisition of vehicles designed by the London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC). These state-of-the-art taxis boast up to 94% lower carbon emissions compared to traditional diesel taxis and are also fully accessible to wheelchair users.

This initiative represents a significant step towards improving the borough’s air quality and advancing its commitment to becoming a net zero carbon locality by 2030. By facilitating the shift to ultra-low emission and easily accessible vehicles, the council is making sustainable travel an easier option for everyone, including those with mobility challenges.

Cabinet Member for the Climate and Ecological Emergency, Cllr Chris Tomblin, said: “Many people rely on accessible taxis to get around. However, the diesel vehicles currently in the fleet are increasingly reaching the end of their lives and need replacing and barriers, like cost, are discouraging existing and new drivers from taking on more modern and sustainable models.

“Our new £5,000 grants, developed through conversations with licensed drivers, aim to help make these electrically powered hackney carriages more affordable to support taxi drivers to use these environmentally friendly and accessible vehicles.

“In offering this grant, we can help to remove old diesel vehicles off the roads and replace them with a more sustainable method of travel to support our target for a net zero carbon borough by 2030.

“And along with emitting around 94% less carbon than diesel taxis, these ultra-low emission vehicles could also help drivers save up to £150 a week on fuel too.”