Moves to limit age of taxis in city delayed
Industry ‘thrown to the wolves’
A ‘DAMAGING’ plan to limit the age of taxis in the city and set a deadline on the switch to electric vehicles has been postponed.
Councillors agreed a report on new hackney carriage and private hire vehicle policy for Portsmouth was ‘unfinished’ and more detail was needed before a decision could be made, during a licensing meeting on Friday.
In the report, it was proposed as of 2022, drivers would only be able to get a first time licence if their vehicle was less than four years old, while licences for vehicles older than eight years would also not be renewed.
Currently there is no maximum vehicle age for re-licensing.
The report also proposed new licences would only be awarded from 2025 to drivers with electric vehicles.
During the meeting, Bruce Hall, from Aquacars, branded the plans ‘ludicrous’.
He said: ‘I am not only upset but extremely disappointed that a department that the trade pay for is, to coin a phrase, throwing our industry to the wolves.
‘I hope that you will all take a step back, understand the costs that will be involved with this extremely damaging proposed policy and reject it, requesting the licensing department to come up with a proposal that is not so damaging to an already damaged industry.’
The proposals were put forward in a bid to secure £500,000 from government to provide rapid charging points at taxi ranks across Portsmouth.
It comes as a clean air zone is set to be implemented in the south west of the city next year – charging certain non-compliant vehicles £10 a day to enter.
Councillor Dave Ashmore, the council’s environment boss, said: ‘Other local authorities have got harsher maximum limits. In Leeds it is seven years.
‘But because Leeds has upgraded to electric vehicles they have been told they don’t need the clean air zone because the air is cleaner.
‘Upgrading sooner does mean the air is cleaner.’
However, other councillors believed there was not enough information provided to make an informed decision.
Cllr Linda Symes said: ‘There are so many unanswered questions. I don’t think we can possibly make a decision today.’
A more detailed report is set to be brought before a licensing meeting on Friday, December 18.