The City of London Corporation announced last week that the Square Mile’s first rapid electric charging point has been installed at Noble Street.
The electric charging point will be dedicated for the new zero-emission capable (ZEC) taxis, which have been on the streets of London since January 2018.
The ZEC taxis have been created to operate without producing toxic emissions, such as nitrogen dioxides and particulate matter, which can cause asthma, heart disease and cancer. Currently, over 1,400 ZEC taxis are licensed by Trasnport for London (TfL) in the capital.
A further 10 rapid charge points are set to be installed by the end of the year at Baynard House car park on Queen Victoria Street. These will be dedicated to both ZEC taxis and small freight vehicles. Part-funded by TfL, the charge points will be able to top up a vehicle’s battery within 20-30 minutes.
Alastair Moss, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee, said:
“I am proud to unveil our very first on-street rapid electric charging point for taxis. As licensed ZEC taxis are being seen in increasing numbers across London, I look forward to increasing the total number of charging points in the Square Mile to meet demand.
“I am particularly excited by our plans for one of London’s first charging ‘hubs’ at Baynard House, which should limit idling as ZEC drivers spend less time searching for vacant charge points on our streets.
“We are dedicated to supporting the continued success of the taxi and freight trade, as well as tackling vehicle related pollution.”
At present, there are 80 charging points available to the public in the City of London (4+ hours to charge to full). City residents in the Barbican have access to 30 permanent electric vehicle charging points across five car parks in the iconic Grade II-listed estate. A further 50 are situated in City Corporation public car parks.
Helen Chapman, Director of Licensing, Regulation and Charging at TfL, said:
“London’s toxic air affects us all, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest, and it is made worse by older diesel engines.
“Every cabbie with a black cab licensed since 2018 is playing their part as they are all zero-emission capable. So, I’m pleased that the City of London Corporation has added to the more than 170 rapid charging points we have installed across the city to charge these vehicles, of which more than 70 are purely for black cabs.
“We’re working hard to support the greening of the trade, with a £42m fund to encourage taxi drivers to replace polluting cars. These measures to tackle London’s dirty air are in addition to the recently launched Ultra Low Emission Zone, which will reduce road-based transport nitrous oxide emissions in central London by 45 per cent.”
Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association commented:
“We welcome the new rapid electric charging points in the Square Mile. Making it easier to charge on the go will help more and more taxi drivers switch to new electric cabs.”
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