Breckland Council licenses first fully-electric private hire vehicle in district

Breckland Council has licensed its first fully-electric private hire vehicle in the district, as authorities across England pave the way for greener transport options in their regions.

Owned by local driver Peter Sessions, the fully-electric MG vehicle was recently licensed for use and is already ferrying passengers across the district.

Peter, the owner of JMS Taxis, said: "I've done about 3,000 miles in my electric vehicle since the council granted my licence and it's been fantastic. I needed an additional vehicle so I checked out the reviews for electric vehicles and decided to take the plunge: it's been the best decision I ever made!

"The savings I've made on fuel have been considerable and I can pass them on to the customer, and it's better for the environment - it's a win-win. The customers have all been really positive about it, especially the children I drive to school: they love it.

"I've been using an app that tells you about handy charge points and now I've just had a charge point installed in my home so I can charge the vehicle cheaply overnight. It's a lot easier than you might think to switch to electric - I'd recommend it to any taxi driver."

The vehicle marks the latest milestone in Breckland as it aims to become more environmentally-friendly and carbon neutral by 2035.

Cllr Gordon Bambridge, Executive Member for Environmental and Public Protection, said: "I'm delighted we now have the first fully-electric taxi in our district. As an organisation, we are always looking at ways to reduce our own impact on the environment and are committed to working with local businesses and householders to find ways to do the same. With more charging points being installed in the district, it is becoming easier than ever to make the switch to electric vehicles, as this taxi driver has proven."