| Taxi Driver Online http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/ |
|
| Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=32174 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | Sussex [ Mon Dec 04, 2017 9:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
Taxi pollution crisis 'could leave just 70 cabs on city streets' More than 1,000 black cabs will be driven off Birmingham’s streets if the city council ploughs ahead with tough new pollution limits, it has been claimed. The chairman of Birmingham’s biggest Hackney Carriage firm, TOA, warned the crackdown could leave just 70 cabs on the city’s streets within three years. There are currently more than 1,200. City licensing chiefs have told all black cab drivers their licenses will be revoked on January 1, 2020, if their cars do not meet tough emissions standards. The authority has claimed cabs – which queue in ranks with engines running – were partly responsible for the city centre’s levels of nitrogen dioxide, which causes an estimated 900 premature deaths a year in Birmingham. But drivers said they would be driven out of business if they were forced to switch to eco-friendly vehicles such as electric cabs costing around £55,000, plus credit costs. TOA boss Manawar Hussain said some workers were still paying for £35,000 cabs bought within the last few years in the expectation they could be used for a decade. “We are all in favour of cleaner air, drivers are working and breathing it in with everyone else,” he said. “This will be devastating to both the drivers – who have to pay up or give up – and the public and businesses who rely on our cabs. “We could have as few as 70 cars on the road.” Mr Hussain said cabs were a lifeline to many disabled people and claimed the council had refused to consider allowing existing cabs to be retrofitted with hydrogen fuel systems at a cost of less than £1,000. Birmingham has been threatened with a £60 million fine unless it reduces pollution levels. The Government has instructed the city, along with 15 others, to draw up plans to improve air quality by 2020. The council is developing a Clean Air Zone around the city centre , under which high-polluting commercial vehicles, such as vans, coaches and lorries, would be taxed. The licensing department had in February suggested forcing cabbies to update their cars by the end of this year - but have now extended the deadline to 2020. But city leader Coun Ian Ward last week said he would consider further steps , and could not rule out a congestion charge, if needed. A recent council report on air quality concluded: “Birmingham needs to respond to the challenge of improving air quality and achieving compliance with air quality limits as soon as possible.” The new regulations: From December 31, 2019, Birmingham City Council will only grant licences for vehicles that comply with either Euro 4 (petrol) or Euro 6 (diesel) standards, as a minimum. Vehicles with higher standards - such as Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (eg hybrids), Zero Emissions Vehicles (electric) or Zero Emission Capable Vehicles (such as new TX Hackney Carriages being produced by LEVC, in Coventry) – will also be licensed. Licences for vehicles that don’t comply with these standards can be renewed in the 12 months before this deadline, but will expire on December 31, 2019. However, drivers who have acquired a compliant vehicle before the deadline will not have to do anything as their vehicles will be licenced for 12 months. |
|
| Author: | edders23 [ Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
didn't we have all this a year ago has nothing been sorted in the meantime ? |
|
| Author: | Tom Thumb [ Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
Just wait and see. Now the dustcart builders in Coventry have a new super expensive vehicle to sell they will be quietly lobbying all the major metropolitan councils to 'get tough' on emissions. You watch how many others follow suit in the next 18 months. They managed to get councils to ban rear loading wheelchair accessible vehicles for years with some totally illogical argument. Power to the lobbyist!!!! |
|
| Author: | sasha [ Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
How many 10,000's of non cabs drive through Birmingham everyday ? How will lowering the emissions of just 1,200 cabs make any difference to the air quality ? Even if all 1200 became completely emission free I doubt there will be much difference when the tens of thousands of other vehicles can spew out as much pollution as they like.  But there is a solution, allow existing vehicles to stay on until they are ready for replacing, and say that from 2020 all new vehicles must comply. |
|
| Author: | bloodnock [ Wed Dec 06, 2017 8:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
Tom Thumb wrote: Just wait and see. Now the dustcart builders in Coventry have a new super expensive vehicle to sell they will be quietly lobbying all the major metropolitan councils to 'get tough' on emissions. You watch how many others follow suit in the next 18 months. They managed to get councils to ban rear loading wheelchair accessible vehicles for years with some totally illogical argument. Power to the lobbyist!!!! It's always the way, the gobbier, more zealous and extreme the lobbyists become the more they get a welcome through the annals of power by those that see themselves as trendy Eco warriors...even though the haven't a fechin clue about anything for the most part. What ever happened to the idea of "Government of the people, by the people, for the people".....not now, Now It's "the few self serving loudest gets the mostest". |
|
| Author: | Chris the Fish [ Wed Dec 06, 2017 12:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
bloodnock wrote: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people". I think that is a quote from the United States Constitution. We aren't American. Should we, after BREXIT, become the 51st State? |
|
| Author: | Nidge2 [ Wed Dec 06, 2017 4:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
Lets not forget that the Chinese will want every penny of their investment back ASAP. They'll be gong balls deep on every council in the UK. |
|
| Author: | bloodnock [ Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
Chris the Fish wrote: bloodnock wrote: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people". I think that is a quote from the United States Constitution. We aren't American. Should we, after BREXIT, become the 51st State? It was, it was Abe Lincoln, but we have (had) similar ideas on democratic governance. |
|
| Author: | heathcote [ Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:20 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Green plans could wipe out Birmingham cab trade |
Chris the Fish wrote: bloodnock wrote: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people". I think that is a quote from the United States Constitution. We aren't American. Should we, after BREXIT, become the 51st State? They will have to hurry up to apply or we will be the 52nd state as Puerto Rico is set to become the 51st. |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC [ DST ] |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://www.phpbb.com/ |
|