Cardiff taxi drivers benefit from over £200,000 in grants to help shift cabbies to greener vehicles
Cardiff taxi drivers are steering towards a greener future, thanks to a £200,000 grant scheme from Cardiff Council aimed at cutting emissions and improving air quality in the city.
The initiative, part of the council’s One Planet Cardiff strategy, has enabled drivers to upgrade their vehicles to more fuel-efficient Euro 6 models or make the leap to fully electric taxis.
With taxi drivers covering an average of 25,000 to 45,000 miles per year—far outstripping the 7,500 miles driven by the typical UK motorist—these changes promise a significant reduction in harmful emissions.
Grants ranging from £5,000 to £10,000 per vehicle have been made available to support the transition, tackling the environmental impact of the city’s ageing Hackney Carriage fleet, many of which still rely on older Euro 4 and Euro 5 diesel engines. So far more than £200,000 has been provided to taxi drivers upgrading their cabs.
For Cardiff’s taxi drivers, this investment not only means cleaner air but also the potential for lower running costs with more fuel-efficient or electric vehicles—offering a win-win for both business and the environment.
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning and Transport, Cllr De'Ath said: "Transport accounts for around a third of the carbon emissions created in Cardiff, and the negative health impact of air pollution is well-documented. These grants help support the decarbonisation of Cardiff's taxi fleet and puts this vital component in the city's transport network on the road to a cleaner, greener future."
