Trafford cabbie goes green - thanks to his grandchildren

Trafford’s first electric black cab has hit the roads – and it’s all thanks to one of the driver’s grandchildren!

Mohammed Sadiq, who has been a cabbie for ten years, ditched his old diesel cab when 15-year-old Azish persuaded him to opt for a more environmentally-friendly option.

Mr Sadiq, aged 67, is now the proud owner of the LEVC TX Vista hybrid vehicle and is taxying in style around the streets of the borough after being given a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence by Trafford Council.

Mr Sadiq said:

I was deciding what to do when one of my grandchildren told me I should buy an electric cab – he would not take no for an answer. He said we need to protect the environment. I am very pleased with this vehicle – it is very comfortable. There are several charge points across Trafford and they are very easy to use.

The vehicle can go 75 miles on a full charge and is much cheaper to run – I was spending £25 a day on diesel for my old cab but this is costing me a fraction of that. The important thing is that it is kind to the environment and I am trying to persuade some of the other drivers to swap as well.”

The new state-of-the-art vehicle has wi-fi for passengers, customer-controlled air conditioning and heating and chargers for mobile phones. It is the first electric cab in Trafford but Council officials are now hoping more cabbies will follow in Mr Sadiq’s shoes by changing over.

Cllr Stephen Adshead, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change, said:

Mr Sadiq is setting the perfect example. If you have an old-style polluting vehicle, you are damaging the environment and we are asking you to consider swapping to an electric vehicle. Greater Manchester is at the forefront of the zero-emission revolution and we want cleaner air in our boroughs for future generations to enjoy.”

The 10 Greater Manchester councils – including Trafford – are proposing a minimum standards approach to licensed vehicles to support the GM Clean Air Plan which proposes to tackle air pollution across the region. These proposals will allow any person using a vehicle licensed in Greater Manchester to be assured that a high level and standard of check has been carried out, the driver can be trusted, and that the vehicle is safe, and is not contributing to poor air quality.

Cllr Anne Duffield, chair of Trafford Council’s Licensing Committee, said:

I applaud Mr Sadiq on his environmentally-friendly attitude in purchasing an electric taxi.

Thousands of children and families across our city region are breathing in dirty air and, as part of the GM Clean Air Plans, we need to improve the situation. We are working closely with the GMCA to hopefully help more people replace or adapt older vehicles.”