Some £4.1m of clean air zone (CAZ) grant funding has been made available to licensed taxis in Bradford to assist with the running costs of a fully electric Hackney Carriage or private hire vehicle.
Applicants can choose to purchase or take out a long-term lease – with a minimum two years lease at time the grant agreement is signed and returned – to be eligible for the grant.
According to Bradford Council, there are currently 200,000 electric vehicle (EV) movements per month in Bradford district and, as a result of grants already issued, reportedly has the cleanest fleet in the UK with 99% of a 4,800-strong licensed taxi and private hire trade meeting the Bradford CAZ standard.
A recent trade survey in Bradford district showed that more than two-thirds (67.6%) of the respondents are thinking about driving a fully electric Hackney Carriage or private hire vehicle.
READ MORE: Bradford records lowest air pollution levels since CAZ implementation
The applications process is now live for Bradford licensed vehicle proprietors. The grant will be increased for non-wheelchair accessible vehicles from £6,000 across two years, up to £10,000 across two years, which brings it into line with the Hackney Carriage and wheelchair accessible private hire vehicle EV grants.
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for healthy people and places, said: “We recognise that there is a desire from the taxi trade to switch to fully electric vehicles.
“We want to further support the taxi trade by offering up to £10,000 per vehicle in grant funding to assist proprietors with the running costs of a fully electric Hackney Carriage or private hire vehicle.
“This is the highest grant of this type in the UK.”
Proprietors who have already upgraded to other compliant vehicle types, such as hybrids, can apply for a top-up grant to go fully electric.
The grant funding will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
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