Taxi drivers facing daily CHARGEPOINT BATTLES look to clamp down on minicabs using designated bays

Environmentally conscious electric taxi drivers are facing a daily battle to charge their vehicles according to a new group looking to clamp down on minicabs using designated taxi charge points.

According to the cabbies looking to take on minicabs using the vital designated E-Taxi charge points, a new channel to report private hire vehicles and other private cars using the bays has now been established.

Drivers on the social media platform Twitter are being urged to send in photos and details to @taxis_e who in turn will report to Transport for London (TfL) once a week.

Frustrated electric taxi drivers are being asked to safely provide photos or videos, along with date, time and location of the incident.

In an email message sent to all taxi and private hire drivers in the capital, a TfL spokesperson said: “Private hire vehicles must never stop or wait in taxi-only charging bays or taxi ranks, or the driver could be subject to a Penalty Charge Notice and potentially licensing action. Taxis must not be left unattended on working taxi ranks.”

According to a recent report, the ‘London Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Delivery Plan: One Year On’, London had over 3,800 zero emission capable (ZEC) taxis at the end of October 2020.

The vast majority of those licensed taxis where the popular LEVC TX model, but also included 64 fully electric Nissan Dynamos.

However, the delivery plan noted just 76 designated 'taxi use only' rapid chargers were available to cab drivers, equating to just one rapid charger per 50 electric taxis.

According to the City Hall sources Metropolitan Police Service Police Community Support Officers and Transport for London Roads and Transport Enforcement Officers (RTEOs) patrol red routes in a bid to help improve compliance and enforce against parking contraventions.

If a vehicle other than a taxi is found stopped within an E-taxi bay then it can be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).