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Taxi Fares Rise to Fight Pollution

Taxi fares in the capital are to rise to tackle pollution, the Mayor of London announced today.

Ken Livingstone said the city’s 20,000 taxis have to meet strict emissions standards by 2007 under the terms of his Taxi Emissions Strategy.

A flat rate of 20p will be added to every cab fare from April to pay for the conversion of cabs into cleaner vehicles.

The rate will be reviewed after three years, and is over and above the usual cost of living rise.

Mr Livingstone said: “London has the worst air quality in the UK and air pollution is estimated to cause 1,600 premature deaths every year in London.

“For just 20p a journey, we will see major health benefits for all Londoners.”

He added that the policy would benefit cabbies, as they spend long hours on the road and are exposed to more pollution than other people.

According to the mayor, taxis are responsible for 24% of fine particle emissions and 12% of nitrogen oxide let off by road traffic in London.

The pollutants can cause asthma and other lung and respiratory problems, as well as heart disease.

There are currently only 3,600 taxis which come up to the clean “Euro 3” standard.

The mayor wants the extra charge to be used to fit a filter to the cab, convert the car to run on liquid petroleum gas or encourage drivers to buy a new, cleaner vehicle.

The rises are part of the mayor’s plan to make London a Low Emission Zone by 2007.

“This is one of a number of measures I am putting in place to improve air quality in London,” Mr Livingstone said.

He added that emissions had already been cut by 12% in central London as a result of the congestion charge.

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Happy to be legit.

Whats he doing about bus pollution? Maybe he'll slap two pence a head on each punter, or do buses already get subsidised to pollute London.

Best wishes

JD

But that means the old sheds that chuck out all the pollution, also get the 20p.

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IDFIMH

what gets me in all of this politically correct bullshit is that london cabs have got to fit printers for receipts............why??

well, dont suppose its because of fiddled expenses by red kens staff do you?

how much was their cab bill last year????

and why the hell are the london trade bothered about the emissions, surely paying £150 quid for a printer x the number of cabs is more of an expense, many drivers will upgrade vehicles anyway rather than get a green shed!

hehe

who said londons trade reps were the best in the uk?

regards

captain cab

ps wheres the t&g in all of this????

All the old Routemasters are being taken off the road Andy.

£100 for a thermal printer.

Maybe they should just allow drivers to use vehicles that return better mpg, the main reason for drivers running "sheds" is the cost of replacing them.

And so they should be Nigel, but I sort of meant the old fairways etc.

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IDFIMH

That could well be on the cards in January, but if they are better mpg, and better emmissions, you have to wonder why they should charge the extra 20p.

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IDFIMH

Sorry I thought you were on about the old buses that are still running

Well it seems that it is to do with expenses fiddles, but by staff in the City rather than Ken's own

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/ ... 29,00.html

I had assumed it was to deter drivers from pulling a fast one, at least that's what I think was the reasoning when they introduced printed receipts in Dublin a couple of years ago.

I give up, who was it?

oops sorry TDO, it was them who said it!

hehe

Captain cab

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin