Mayor of London REJECTS proposal for relicensing decommissioned Euro 5 taxi with LPG conversion

A recent inquiry by Keith Prince, London Assembly Member, regarding the relicensing of decommissioned Euro 5 diesel taxis with LPG conversions has been met with a firm response from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.

Prince AM questioned the Mayor on whether a decommissioned Euro 5 diesel taxi, which had undergone an LPG conversion and met the city's emissions standards, could be relicensed as a London taxi. He further asked for clarification on the duration of the guarantee for relicensing a newly converted LPG TX4 taxi.

In his reply, Mayor Sadiq Khan highlighted the current regulations in place for taxi licensing in London.

Since 1 January 2018, all taxis presented for licensing for the first time must be zero emission capable (ZEC). This entails having CO2 emissions below 50g/km and a minimum zero-emission range of 30 miles. The Mayor commended the progress made in this area, with over 7,200 ZEC taxis currently accounting for 48 percent of the overall fleet in London.

However, the proposal of relicensing a decommissioned Euro 5 diesel taxi converted to LPG did not meet the city's licensing requirements and hence was not considered feasible. Additionally, taxis that have already undergone conversion to operate on LPG are subject to a maximum age limit of 15 years.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “A decommissioned Euro 5 diesel taxi converted to LPG would not meet licensing requirements.

“London licensed taxis that have already been converted to operate on LPG are subject to a maximum age limit of 15 years.”