ALL hackney carriages and private hire vehicles entering the fleet in Wyre Forest could be a lot greener from 2027 as the council plans to change its licensing policy.

Wyre Forest District Council is proposing reforms to its hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licensing policy in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of the fleet.

Under the new policy, no fossil-fuel driven vehicles would be allowed to enter the fleet after December 31, 2026.

However, vehicles that have already been licensed before that date would not be affected.

In addition to this, the council is considering changes to the maximum age of vehicles entering the fleet and when licenses are renewed.

As part of the proposed policy reform, licensing fees for vehicles that do not use fossil fuels may also be reduced.

These changes are part of the council’s Climate Change Plan, as they strive to achieve the goal of Net Zero by 2050.

Residents of Wyre Forest have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed reforms by participating in a consultation.

They can visit the website www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/taxisurvey to take part in the consultation, which ends on Friday, November 3rd at 5pm.

The council is also conducting consultations with the trade.

The decision to conduct the consultation was made during a recent meeting of the council’s Licensing and Environmental Committee, chaired by Councillor Paul Harrison.

He said: “We are asking people to have their say on plans to move the hackney carriages and private hire vehicle fleet to one that doesn’t use fossil fuels, in order to reduce its impact on the environment.

"The Council declared a climate change emergency in 2019 and reducing the dependence on fossil fuels would contribute to reductions in carbon emissions. We also monitor and take action on air quality issues.

"A transition to vehicles which don’t rely on fossil fuels is expected to lead to an improvement in air quality.”