Electric taxis 2028 target ditched by Welsh ministers

Drivers' concerns have been listened to, said the minister

A target to make all taxis electric by 2028 has been dropped by the Welsh government.

Instead, it expects petrol and diesel taxis to be replaced in line with the rest of the car market.

The 2028 target was in Welsh Labour's election manifesto, but transport minister Lee Waters said Wales cannot move faster than the rest of the UK.

Rishi Sunak said last month that a ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars was being delayed from 2030 until 2035.

The Welsh government strongly criticised the prime minister's announcement.

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The most recent statistics showed fewer than 1% of taxis and private hire vehicles in Wales had zero-emission engines.

Statistics from Transport for Wales found there were only 82 out of 9,318 taxis in April 2022.

Mr Waters was updating Senedd members on plans for new regulations on taxis.

He said the Welsh government was committed to the 2050 net-zero target and that decarbonising cars was an important part of that.

"But, I recognise that there are challenges including the cost of buying an electric vehicle, anxiety about vehicle range and the availability of charging infrastructure," he said.

"Wales cannot move faster than the rest of the UK on these issues, but we expect the taxi and private hire vehicle trade to transition to electric vehicles in line with the rest of the car market."

Changes in the law will give ministers powers to set a deadline for electric taxis, but Mr Waters said: "That is not something we have any intention of triggering, certainly within this Senedd term or in the foreseeable future."

"We need to make sure we've got sufficient charging infrastructure and that the cars are affordable, and that is an evolving picture," he added.

"So, we're not minded to use these regulations to speed that up, beyond its natural market progress."

Welsh Conservative transport spokeswoman Natasha Asghar said the prime minister had taken "action which recognised the impact of transitioning to net zero on people's pockets".

"Labour couldn't deliver their manifesto pledge on transitioning taxis to electric, especially as Wales has some of the fewest EV charging points in the UK," she said.

"But as always they either hide or blame the UK government for their inaction."

What is being done to make taxis safer?

New regulations will mean all taxi drivers have to meet the same standards to get a licence from the local council.

At the moment, councils set their own rules, with critics saying customers are not guaranteed the same level of service.

Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell said setting national standards could make taxis safer for women.

She said: "It's really important that government acknowledges the challenges that women and vulnerable travellers too often face with our current transport system, including taxis.

"It isn't merely a question of convenience, in terms of taxi transport, but there are important questions in terms of safety and dignity too."

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