The phase-out of petrol and diesel cabs in Reading has been changed after complaints from taxi drivers, with one saying strict rules would be a 'noose around the neck' of drivers.
Cabs, officially known as hackney carriages, have been in Reading for decades to get customers from A to B.
These taxis can be hailed on the spot, with customers being charged for the amount of distance they travel.
Since 2019, Reading Borough Council has had a hackney carriage vehicle emissions and age policy, which aims to gradually phase out petrol and diesel taxis by October 2028.
The council's preference is that all cabs should be ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), which are defined as fully electric and hybrid vehicles.
But cab drivers have opposed the change raising fears the expense of ULEV cabs would 'destroy the trade'.
READ MORE: Cab driver says planned petrol and diesel phase out is 'a noose around our necks'
Asif Rashid, the chairman of the Reading Taxi Association (RTA) said: "We feel like we've got a noose round our necks.
"Every so often, another knot is tied around our necks. We know the problems we've got [with pollution] but it's not all by hackney carriages.
"It's suffocating us. This policy is going to destroy the trade."
Mr Rashid claimed new ULEV cabs cost £72,500 during a meeting in July.
By comparison, a new Euro 6 emission standard LPG and petrol cab can be found being sold for £39,999.
READ MORE: Drivers voice opposition to plan to phase-out petrol and diesel cabs
Adjustments to the policy were discussed at a recent meeting.
The policy states that all replacement taxis must be a ULEV and a minimum of seven years old.
Furthermore, the policy sets the maximum age of a ULEV cab at 15 years old. Once a taxi reaches that age, it must be removed from the road.
A caveat allows an age extension of a maximum of three years following an assessment and compliance test by council licensing officers.
Elements of the policy were made less strict after conversations with the RTA.
Initially, the council wanted all replacement cabs to be a minimum of five years old, which was changed to a minimum of seven years.
Additionally, the cab age extension past 15 years was increased from two years in the draft policy to three years in the approved policy.
READ MORE: Busiest taxi rank in Reading revealed as limit set on cabs allowed in town
The rules are unlikely to change for some time, as councillors agreed that the age policy should run for 11 years until 2035, at which point it would be reviewed again unless changes prompt a review sooner.
The decision was made at a licensing applications committee meeting on Thursday, November 14.
The policy was instituted in 2019 after the council declared a 'climate emergency' with an objective of achieving a net zero carbon emissions Reading by 2030.
Cab drivers can only legally operate in the town after obtaining a licence from the council. The current limit of cab licenses is set at 216.
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