The first fully-electric private hire taxi in Breckland has been licensed by the district council, paving the way for greener transport options in the region.

Owned by Dereham-based taxi driver Peter Sessions, the fully-electric MG vehicle is already ferrying passengers across the district. As the local authority, Breckland is responsible for licensing all taxi drivers and vehicles to ensure the public receive a safe and reliable service.

Peter, the owner of JMS Taxis, said: “I’ve done about 3,000 miles in my electric vehicle since the council granted my licence and it’s been fantastic.

“I needed an additional vehicle, so I checked out the reviews for electric vehicles and decided to take the plunge: it’s been the best decision I ever made!

“The savings I’ve made on fuel have been considerable and I can pass them on to the customer, and it’s better for the environment – it’s a win-win. The customers have all been really positive about it, especially the children I drive to school: they love it."

He added: “I’ve been using an app that tells you about handy charge points and now I’ve just had a charge point installed in my home so I can charge the vehicle cheaply overnight. It’s a lot easier than you might think to switch to electric – I’d recommend it to any taxi driver.”

%image(14447096, type="article-full", alt="Councillor Gordon Bambridge said he was "delighted" by the electric taxi's licensing")

The council’s executive member for environmental and public protection, Gordon Bambridge, said: “I’m delighted we now have the first fully-electric taxi in our district.

“As an organisation, we are always looking at ways to reduce our own impact on the environment and are committed to working with local businesses and householders to find ways to do the same.

“With more charging points being installed in the district, it is becoming easier than ever to make the switch to electric vehicles, as this taxi driver has proven.”

The licensing marks the latest milestone in Breckland becoming more environmentally-friendly, as the council moves towards being carbon neutral by 2035.

Earlier this year, Breckland adopted its inaugural sustainability strategy and work is underway to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint as well as putting in place initiatives to support local residents to take action for themselves.

These will include a community green grants programme, tree-planting schemes, installing additional electric vehicle charging points, and improving council building energy-efficiency levels.