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Khan says now is not the right time to revise London taxi's maximum age limit
Updated: Sep 6, 2021
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said that despite the capital being on track to reach its emissions target by 2025, and praising the efforts made by the taxi industry to help achieve this goal, he is currently not willing to entertain the possibility of revising the current maximum age limit of taxi vehicles.
Khan said that the phased approach to taxi age limits help to ensure that the city is on track to reduce NOx emissions from the most polluting taxi vehicles which use diesel fuel.
Keith Prince, London Assembly Member, asked: "Factoring in the number of taxi vehicles permanently delicensed & those that ‘may’ return, will the Mayor concede that his 2025 emission target reduction will be met without the need for further age reduction beyond the current 14 years?" Khan replied: "The taxi trade has made great strides in embracing new vehicles to reduce emissions and I welcome these efforts, particularly given the challenges the trade has faced during the pandemic.
"To help drivers, I have made available a significant support package, which is detailed in my response to question 2021/1950.
"The phased approach to taxi age limits helps to ensure that we are on track to reduce NOx emissions from taxis by 65 per cent compared to 2013 levels.
"This, with other measures, will see London come into compliance with legal limits for nitrogen dioxide by 2025 at the latest, in accordance with the government’s own 2017 air quality action plan.
"As recovery from the pandemic remains uncertain revising fleet estimates is currently not appropriate. It’s vital that as taxi use recovers, it does so in a way that continues to reduce the trade’s impact on emissions and air quality."
From 1 November 2019 the maximum taxi operating age was mandated so that no taxi would be licensed to operate beyond its relevant age limit.
As an example, after 1 November 2019, a taxi that was older than 14 years, according to the date it was first registered with the DVLA, would not have been licensed as it would be operating beyond the 15 year age limit during the 12 month vehicle licence period.
TfL does not have the legal power to issue short-term taxi vehicle licences for a period less than 12 months.
Changes to taxi vehicle age limits: Between 1 November 2020 and 1 November 2022 the age limit of Euro 2, 3, 4 and 5 diesel taxis has be reduced by one year, each year.
The age limit for Zero emission capable (ZEC taxis), Euro 6 vehicles and taxis new converted to run on Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is to remain at 15 years throughout this period.
The taxi age limits for licensed taxis are shown below:
