The big read: Sheffield's cab drivers say new clean air zone could 'finish' the trade and lead to violence among passengers

A new black cab can set drivers back around £60,000.

Sheffield taxi drivers have questioned charges for older vehicles in a new city clean air zone - saying it could push cabbies out of the profession and even lead to violence as rides home become harder to secure.

Last week Sheffield Council confirmed it is to introduce a clean air zone covering the inner ring road and city centre, with charges for some high polluting vehicles scheduled to come into force in late 2022.

These changes will include a £10 per day charge for Hackney Carriages and Private Hire taxis which are not of a Euro 6 Diesel or Euro 4 Petrol emissions standard.

However, some taxi drivers in Sheffield believe that the charges unfairly target cabbies and worry that the charges will either push prices up or make the profession untenable for many.

Ibrar Hussain said that about 200 drivers in Sheffield have a Euro 5 car and wonders what will happen to them when the charges come into place.

Tariq Nazir, GMB representative for the S75 taxis branch and taxi driver of more than 20 years, said: “We are not against clean air zones, they are going to benefit us in the long run, even our children’s children.

"But we feel we are part of the integrated public transport system even though we are classed as self-employed. We have a lot of people relying on us - parents taking their children to school, the elderly, people who can’t drive, and the disabled. Taxi drivers should be exempt because we are part of the integrated system.

"The council should be promoting taxis and public transport and encouraging the public to use them - letting normal motorists use clean air zones doesn’t encourage it. There are just under 3,000 licensed vehicles in Sheffield. Taxi drivers are going to feel the pinch. They will have to take a loss or fares will have to go up.

"A lot of drivers are going to look for other work, they have a family to feed and utility bills to pay.

Tariq Nazir believes that the charge for cab drivers will lead to an increase in fare costs and push drivers to look for other work.

“We have got to find other solutions - it’s not about putting a levy on taxi drivers, it should be proportionate with normal drivers. A simple solution would be to make HGVs and lorries come at a certain time, early morning or late at night, then they are not stopping in traffic and there is less road congestion.

“Because the council has allowed Euro 6 vehicles it has relieved a bit of pressure on us, it gives you that bit of space so that drivers can save for the next vehicle.”

Ibrar Hussain, a former Labour councillor for Burngreave from 2000-2016 and taxi driver for 34 years, agreed the cost for drivers whose vehicles did not meet the emissions standards would be prohibitive.

He said: “If this happens the cab trade will be finished. A new cab of the London type is over £60,000. The monthly payments on them are £900 – more than a mortgage. They stopped making Euro 6 and there is not much availability.

Sheffield Clean Air Zone map showing where the most polluting vehicles will be charged under Sheffield Council plans for the city centre. © Crown copyright and database rights 2021 OS licence number 100018816.

"The clean air zone came up when I was a councillor. I always said it had to be dealt with very carefully and had to be mindful of the taxi trade. Not everybody can afford Euro 6, what’s going to happen to them? We have got about 200 Euro 5 cabs in Sheffield.

“We all want clean air, but if taxi drivers are only one per cent of the problem why not tackle the 99 per cent? It is because it’s political. If they make everybody pay they will not be elected.

“I have submitted a petition asking for a mixed fleet, this will have the option of having saloon cars like the Leeds model - so drivers can afford to buy and have them as a licensed vehicle. The cost of a saloon car will be £10,000 upwards.”

Yasmin Majid, who has been a taxi driver in Sheffield for 16 years, said: “The problem that I see is Sheffield is built on seven hills – electric vehicles are not purpose built for drivers and five or six passengers, they struggle as it is now to get up these hills.

Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley has given her support to Sheffield Council\'s Clean Air Zone.

"There are too many Uber and Bolt cars coming across borders applying for hire in Sheffield district, they should be sticking to their district.

"We are the drivers of Sheffield district, I love my job, I love my customers. My customers say we have really good banter because I am a local Sheffield lad. They want to know their driver and they want the driver to know the roads.

“This is a very sensitive matter, Sheffield Taxi Licensing need to get together and we need to keep the hackneys in Sheffield.

“If this doesn’t get sorted now there will be a lot of stabbings over taxis as people won’t be able to get a taxi because there won’t be enough drivers."

Last week the council said the CAZ was a historic step forward to a cleaner, greener city where people wanted to live. Air pollution kills 500 people a year in Sheffield.

Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh said it was a ‘major public health challenge damaging our health and life chances.’

She added: “This is not acceptable, and the introduction of this Clean Air Zone will go some way in reducing the pollutant Nitrogen Dioxide.”

Some £20.4 million of funding will be used to help drivers upgrade. A consultation focussing on this financial support will start in November.