Taxi passengers and drivers face being affected by new ban starting next April
Taxi passengers and drivers in England could soon be hit by a huge shake-up as a West Midlands council mulls over banning diesel motors. The local authority will begin to phase out petrol taxis in less than three years, if proposed new rules are approved.
The proposed changes by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council will be subject to a 12-week consultation. The new taxi and private hire licensing policy being considered by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council includes a timescale for a transition to zero-emission vehicles over the next 10 years.
“Currently, we have a policy that says that all vehicles have to be less than seven years old when they’re first licensed, and after 10 years they have more frequent testing," said licensing officer Matt Burton. "What we’re looking to do is move away from an age policy altogether, and as suggested in the best practice guidance, move towards an emissions and fuel type criteria."
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Licences for new vehicles powered by petrol, diesel or LPG would no longer be granted from April 2027, while no vehicles with internal combustion engines would be licensed from 2030. The final step in 2035 would see the council stop granting licences for hybrid vehicles, ensuring all taxis have zero tailpipe emissions.
In 2025-26, the council would accept renewal applications for Euro 5 vehicles for the final time. The new policy will undergo a 12-week consultation with the taxi trade and other stakeholders before returning to the council for final approval.
Another proposed shake-up would see private hire vehicles banned from displaying door livery showing the operator’s name, to prevent confusion between private hire vehicles and Hackney carriages. Concerns were raised that it may make it difficult for some people to identify the private hire vehicles they had booked.
The ban could start as soon as April next year.