Thirty Brighton and Hove taxis will have cleaner and greener engines thanks to a £195,000 government grant awarded to Brighton and Hove City Council.
The Department for Transport (DfT) awarded the money to the council this week from the Clean Vehicle Technology Fund – a £5 million pot of money.
It follows a £750,000 grant last year from the Clean Bus Technology Fund which was used to help Brighton and Hove Buses retrofit 50 of its buses to reduce emissions.
The latest award will pay for 30 taxi minibuses to be modified to make their exhaust gases less harmful by turning nitrogen oxides to nitrogen gas.
The DfT said: “This technology has been successful on buses and the project will establish its potential for minibus taxis.”
The council was one of 17 local authorities to win money from the Clean Vehicle Technology Fund.
The grant was announced on Monday (8 September) by Susan Kramer, the Liberal Democrat peer and Transport Minister.
Lady Kramer said: “The £5 million Clean Vehicle Technology Fund means councils can now lead the way on introducing greener vehicles on their local streets.
“We received imaginative applications from local authorities from across England for vehicles including buses, taxis, vans, fire engines and ambulances.
“All the schemes will lower emissions in busy towns and cities.
“The funding we are providing will result in real public health benefits while supporting skilled jobs and economic growth in the environmental technologies industries.”
