Green and Lib Dem councillors voted against Mid Suffolk’s policy on taxis at the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, because the policy fails to support operators to transition to low and zero carbon taxi services.
Councillor Daniel Pratt, Licensing Committee member, said
“Our council has unanimously declared a climate emergency and has agreed we must do whatever we can to tackle climate change. It is truly shocking that we are missing this opportunity to help our taxi operators transition to lower emissions. Offering taxi drivers no support is, frankly, burying our heads in the sand.”
Councillor Andrew Stringer, Licensing Committee member, said
“Within the lifetime of this policy it will not be possible to even buy a new fossil-fuelled car, yet we are promoting a policy that doesn’t help our taxi drivers to change but encourages using the dirtiest cars for as long as possible. Other councils are already leading the way, with loans for zero emissions vehicles and free vehicle charging points at taxi ranks, yet Mid Suffolk’s Conservative-led policy is to be silent on the defining issue of our age. That’s not leadership – it’s running away from the problem and hoping it will go away.”
The Mid Suffolk Hackney Carriage policy received 3 votes for with 3 votes against and was approved by the Chairman’s casting vote.
