Boris to give black cabs green overhaul

London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced plans to invest £1m in a pilot project designed to test low carbon technologies for the city's taxi fleet.

As part of the scheme Transport for London (TfL) and clean technology advisory body Cenex are inviting car manufacturers to put forward proposals for low carbon technologies that could be trialled.

"As well as significantly cutting carbon dioxide emissions, we're looking for taxis that are quieter and produce fewer air pollutants, which will be good news for anyone who spends time in London," said Johnson, adding that taxi drivers should also benefit from lower fuel costs as a result of the shift towards lower carbon vehicles.

David Brown, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said that with over 21,000 taxis on London's roads any improvement in fuel efficiency would lead to "substantial" carbon savings.

TfL said it was leaving it to manufacturers to suggest the best technologies for the demonstration projects, but it did indicate an interest in stop-start or "micro-hybrid" technology capable of cutting out the engine automatically each time the vehicle stops and starting it instantly when the accelerator is pressed. The approach is estimated to curb fuel use by up to 15 per cent, while also cutting carbon and particulate emissions.

Such technologies are already being developed by a number of manufacturers, and TfL said that with taxis spending around 40 per cent of their time waiting at taxi ranks or traffic signals, cabs would be the ideal testing ground for such systems.

In related news, London has this month ended its stint as chair of the C40 group of large cities working to tackle climate change. Mayor of Toronto, David Miller, will now take up leadership of the group, which will rotate between all members of the alliance.

Boris Johnson has been appointed honorary Deputy Chair, a new permanent position designed to help shape the C40's climate change agenda. Johnson said he was keen to promote some of the successful steps London had taken to cut emissions to other member states and was also looking to introduce some measures pioneered by other major cities, such as Paris' popular bike hire scheme.