Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Offices, Reading

Contact: Richard Woodford - Committee Services  Email: richard.woodford@reading.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

4.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 52 KB

To confirm the Minutes of the Licensing Applications Committee meeting held on 11 June 2019.

 

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting held on 11 June 2019 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

5.

Hackney Carriage Vehicle Emissions and Age Policy pdf icon PDF 3 MB

A report asking the Committee to adopt a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Emissions and Age Policy setting out the Council’s requirements until 2030.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report asking the Committee to adopt a Hackney Carriage Vehicle (HCV) emissions and age policy which would contribute to the Council’s objective to be carbon neutral by 2030.  The report advised that the policy would complement the existing Local Transport Plan (LTP) and feed into the new LTP when adopted.

The report stated that the Council had declared a ‘Climate Emergency’ at its Strategic Environment Planning and Transport Committee meeting on 18 March 2019 (Minute 37 refers) and set an objective to be carbon neutral by 2030.  The report highlighted the impact of road travel on carbon emissions and air quality and advised on the incentives becoming available to encourage the use of electric vehicles.  The report also advised that a significant reduction in carbon emissions could be achieved by converting to an ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV).

The report stated that the proposed policy would entail a staged approach and had been formulated in consultation with the Reading Taxi Association (RTA) and the Reading Cab Drivers Association (RCDA) following the declaration of the ‘Climate Emergency’.

The report explained that the approach would remove vehicles of European Exhaust Emissions Standard Euro 3, 4 and 5a, leaving Euro 5b or cleaner vehicles by 2024 and from 2025 would favour ULEVs over Euro 5b and 6b vehicles.  Incentives would also be offered to encourage the take up of ULEVs and 100% electric vehicles and version 4 of the Local Transport Plan would make reference to a charging network.

Paragraph 2.1 of the report set out the proposed emissions and age policy for HCV’s, as follows:

 

Date

Proposed Standard

23 October 2019

Vehicle Age policy 15 years for all vehicles, 100% electric 20 year Vehicle Age Policy

23 October 2019

All replacement vehicles will be a minimum of Euro 5b and less than 8 years old.  This rule will apply regardless of whether the vehicle is new to the fleet or an existing vehicle.

1 October 2021

Vehicle Age Policy 14 years for vehicles up to and including Euro 5a (vehicles aged over 1/10/07 only)

1 October 2022

Vehicle Age Policy 13 years for vehicles up to and including Euro 5a (vehicles aged over 1/10/09 only)

1 October 2023

Vehicle Age Policy 12 years for vehicles up to and including Euro 5a (vehicles aged over 1/10/11 only)

1 October 2025

All replacement vehicles are minimum ULEV and less than 8 years old.  This rule will apply regardless of whether the vehicle is new to the fleet or an existing vehicle.

1 October 2028

All vehicles to be minimum ULEV

 

Date

Incentives

Currently

All 100% electric vehicles pay 41% of the standard vehicle fee

From 1 April 2020

All ULEV (CO2 <50kg/km emissions) pay a 25% reduction in the annual standard vehicle fee

100% electric vehicles will receive a 50% reduction in the annual standard vehicle fee

1 October 2021 to

1 October 2022

Any ULEV/100% electric vehicle that has never been on the fleet  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.