Emissions compliance

petrol pumps Improving air quality in London is a real challenge, and we need your help to meet it. That's why your taxi now has to meet certain environmental standards before being licensed.

Before you have your annual licensing inspection you will have to get your taxi fitted with emissions reduction equipment or converted to run on alternative fuels. The equipment or conversion must be PCO/Energy Saving Trust approved and bring the cab to Euro 3 standard or better for NOx and PM10.

The deadline is 30 June 2008 and applies to all taxis

The deadline is 30 June 2008. After that we can't give you a licence if your taxi doesn't meet Euro 3 standards.

The standards apply to all taxis including LTI Fairway, TXI and Metrocabs.

Approved equipment and conversion

The Energy Savings Trust maintain a London taxi emissions abatement register of approved systems and suppliers.

Exemptions

You don't need to get an emissions reduction system fitted if your taxi has already had an approved LPG conversion or been re-engined to Euro 3 standard or better.

Recovering your costs

To allow you to recover the full cost of fitting emissions reduction system to your taxi an environmental charge was introduced in April 2005. This charge of 20p is added to all taxi journeys and is in addition to the usual cost of living increase.

Implementing the taxi emissions strategy

The taxi emissions strategy is being implemented in two phases. Read the PCO Notice about the taxi emissions strategy.

Phase 1

From 1 July 2006

LTI vehicles registered before 16 September 1998 (up to chassis number 102767) required to bring their cab to Euro 3 standard or better for NOx and PM10.

Phase 2

From 1 July 2007

LTI vehicles first registered between 16 September 1998 and 1 January 2002 (between chassis numbers 102767 and 15000) required to bring their cab to Euro 3 standard or better for NOx and PM10.

Metrocabs

As of 1 July 2007 any Metrocab taxi that is of a Pre-Euro, Euro 1 or Euro 2 standard must have either PCO/EST approved emissions reduction equipment fitted or an approved conversion to run on alternative fuels when they are presented for inspection. If you are a Metrocab owner you now have a choice of technology available to you.

Metrocab owners now have a choice of technology available

When the strategy was first introduced, emission technology providers had only developed viable solutions for most of the current London fleet - LTI Fairway and TXI vehicles. Solutions for Metrocabs weren't adequately tested or approved in time for the start of Phase 1 of the strategy so a revised timetable for Metrocabs was agreed.

The effect of this revision was to put back by 12 months the requirement that pre-Euro and Euro 1 Metrocabs are Euro 3 compliant. All taxis, whether manufactured by LTI or Metrocab, must still be Euro 3 compliant by July 2008.