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Mayor of Greater Manchester takes a spin in electric Ford MAXiCab taxi as city highlights taxi and PHV driver fund
Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig has highlighted ongoing support for taxi drivers and a new £2 million support fund for local private hire drivers, whilst taking a ride in a fully electric, wheelchair-accessible Ford MAXiCab taxi.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said Craig met a driver named John and travelled in his new black cab. The post said locally licensed drivers could use grants to switch to cleaner vehicles.
Greater Manchester’s separate Hackney Support Fund offers eligible hackney carriage licence holders grants of up to £12,560 to replace non-compliant vehicles.
The £8 million government-funded scheme is available to drivers licensed by a Greater Manchester authority, with grant levels varying according to whether the replacement is wheelchair accessible, a six-seat vehicle or zero-emission capable. Applications are processed first come, first served, subject to funding availability.
To qualify, the vehicle being replaced must have been licensed, taxed and insured as a Greater Manchester hackney carriage on 23 January 2025 and fall below the required emissions standards. The replacement must meet emissions and licensing requirements, and remain licensed in Greater Manchester for at least two years after the grant is paid.
A wheelchair-accessible cab must be replaced with another accessible vehicle. The scheme’s retrospective application window has closed, so drivers who have already upgraded cannot currently submit a new retrospective claim.
Alongside funding for Hackney Carriage vehicles the Private Hire Vehicle Support Fund opened on 15 September. Eligible private hire vehicle licence holders can apply for grants of up to £2,500 to replace a non-compliant vehicle with a cleaner alternative. The fund applies to private hire vehicles licensed by one of Greater Manchester’s 10 councils.
Looking more closely at the Ford MAXiCab, the vehicle is built on the long-wheelbase Ford Tourneo Custom platform and is designed for hackney carriage use.
Cab Direct says its reconfigurable cabin can carry up to six passengers or accommodate a wheelchair user alongside other seated passengers. Accessibility features include wide sliding doors, a lowered floor, a fold-out ramp and four-point wheelchair restraints.
The model is offered with diesel, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric powertrains. Cab Direct states that the electric version has a range of up to 202 miles, while the plug-in hybrid offers 32 miles of zero-emission driving. Those specifications are supplied by the vehicle’s developer.
