THE first of up to 17 new ultra-low carbon hackney carriages recently took to the streets of the borough under Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s scheme to assist local taxi drivers to invest in greener and accessible taxis.

Thanks to the help of a £5,000 grant from the council, a new, modern and fully wheelchair accessible hackney carriage that emits 16 times less carbon than a diesel taxi is now making it easier for residents and visitors, including those with mobility issues, to travel sustainably.

Any licensed taxi driver in the borough can apply to the council for a grant towards a new electrically powered taxi built by the London Electric Vehicle Company. The scheme was launched earlier this year to increase the number of these ultra-low emission hackney carriages locally to improve air quality and tackle climate change.

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Taxi driver Steve Tawton with his new wheelchair accessible and electrically powered hackney carriage (Image: Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council) Steve Tawton was the first driver to sign up for a new ultra-low emission hackney carriage and is enjoying the benefits since being handed the keys to the new vehicle.

He said: “It’s getting a really positive reaction from customers who love how quiet it is and the panoramic roof.

“It is really good to drive, a totally different experience compared to my previous vehicle and I’m saving money charging overnight instead of filling up on diesel.”

Cabinet member for the climate and ecological emergency Cllr Chris Tomblin said: “I welcome to Basingstoke’s taxi ranks the first of what I hope is many new low-carbon hackney carriages under our scheme to get more people travelling in cleaner and greener ways.

“Not only are the emissions from these electrically powered vehicles up to 94 per cent lower than regular diesel taxis, helping to support our aim for a net zero carbon borough by December 2030, but they can also save taxi drivers upwards of £150 a week on fuel too.”

The ultra-low carbon hackney carriages have an electric-only range of up to 78 miles. The battery can be recharged by a small on-board petrol generator, which extends the range up to 333 miles when needed, or at an electric vehicle charging point.

This includes at the 50-kilowatt ‘rapid’ electric vehicle charging point near the taxi rank at Basingstoke train station that can recharge the vehicles’ batteries to 80 per cent in 25 minutes.

Taxi drivers can find out more and apply for a £5,000 council grant towards their own ultra-low emission hackney carriage at basingstoke.gov.uk/hackney-carriage-taxi.

More information about how the council is working alongside communities to help make the borough net zero carbon by December 2030 is at basingstoke.gov.uk/climate.