Oxford councillors agree to delay on hackney carriage emission rules
- Perry Richardson
- Sep 30
- 1 min read
Oxford City councillors have agreed to give taxi drivers more time to meet strict emission standards for hackney carriage vehicles.
The original policy required all licensed hackney carriages to meet ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) standards by 1 January 2026. The General Purposes Licensing Committee has now supported extending that deadline after considering evidence from both drivers and the council’s Environmental Sustainability Team.
The City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA) argued that financial pressures, reduced government grants, rising energy costs and delays to local infrastructure projects had left many drivers unable to afford new vehicles. Of the 107 hackney carriages licensed in the city, 40 have already moved to ULEV, leaving 67 that still need to change.
The affordability and emissions report produced by the council showed progress in cutting emissions but acknowledged growing challenges for drivers, especially those without access to home charging.
The Committee debated three options: keeping the original 2026 deadline, pushing it back by one year, or delaying until 2028 to align with the expected local government reorganisation in Oxfordshire. The chosen approach provides additional time for drivers to transition while keeping the council’s environmental aims in focus.
The decision still needs to be adopted by full Council before being implemented.
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