The city council has approved the first line of aid announced in the Madrid 360 Environmental Sustainability Strategy for the transition towards a low-emission taxi fleet with DGT’s (Directorate-General for Traffic) ECO and ZERO labels. According to the municipal spokesperson Inmaculada Sanz, these subsidies are incorporated through the CAMBIA 360 grant with a fund of almost 2.8 million Euros (2,747,000) from the budget of the Area of ​​Environment and Mobility.

In total, 1,620 taxis will be able to benefit from these aids: 1,600 vehicles will switch to ECO vehicles, including Autogas, and 20 to ZERO emission vehicles. This is the largest investment that the Madrid City Council has planned for the taxi sector, multiplying by seven the aid for 2019.

This effort is made so that Madrid carries out a transition towards sustainable mobility and complies with the objective set by the European Union in Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament. In addition, it intends to collaborate closely with the taxi sector on which 100,000 families depend, and who have been affected by the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis.

The taxi fleet in Madrid represents an important source of emissions due to the combination of two factors. On the one hand, 34% of the total fleet (15,723 vehicles) is powered by conventional fuel (diesel) with a high emission factor for NOx and particles.

On the other hand, according to the ‘Study of the taxi service of the Madrid City Council 2017,’ each taxi drives about 55,000 kilometres a year (200 kilometres a day), an amount much higher than that travelled by private cars. Therefore, the renewal of the taxi fleet towards less polluting technology and fuels is key to improving air quality. For more information, please visit this link.

27 May 2020