FEEDBACK on an electric taxi scheme running in Blaenau Gwent has not been “particularly positive” a senior council officer has said.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Place scrutiny committee on Tuesday, September 5, councillors asked for details of the take-up of a “green taxi” scheme which offered the use of two electric vehicles to taxi drivers on a trial basis.

Since November 2021 as part of the Cardiff City Region Deal and Welsh Government Green Taxi – try before you buy initiative, Blaenau Gwent taxi drivers have been given the chance of hiring a fully electric wheelchair accessible taxi, free of charge for 30 days,

In total 44 of these electric vehicle taxis were available for hire in the Cardiff City Region Deal area, with two allocated to  Blaenau Gwent.

The trial includes free charging, insurance, and breakdown cover.

Deputy leader of the Independent group Cllr Wayne Hodgins said: “Has anyone taken up the offer of the two electric chargers?

“I just wondered as I haven’t seen any about.”

Trading standards and licensing team manager, Steve Osborne said: “Uptake of the scheme has been low, we’re talking about a handful that have been trialled.

“Feedback from the drivers hasn’t been particularly positive.

“We have shared that with the scheme organisers.

“There’s been issues with the location of the charging points and the vehicles not being able to hold a charge for long enough to do contract runs for some drivers.

“One driver returned the car after two days.

“He could have kept it for 30 and said that he didn’t feel the vehicle was fit for purpose.”

The electric taxis are purpose-built Nissan Dynamos and cost around £45,000 brand new.

The two year trial will continue until the end of November 2023 with the total funding for the scheme in being £3.4 million.

EV charging points were installed at the taxi ranks in Ebbw Vale, Brynmawr, Tredegar and Abertillery and a question to be answered at the end of November is whether the public will be able to use them to charge their vehicles.

It’s also possible that the cars will be sold off at the end of the trial.