Crompton Liberal Democrat Councillor Dave Murphy was delighted to hear recently that Oldham Council will be acting on his suggestion that taxi exhaust emissions be properly tested to ensure they do not pose an undue hazard to human health.
Councillor Murphy, who carries out MOT tests in his professional life in the motor vehicle industry, posed a question at the last full meeting of Oldham Council asking why the emissions of private motor vehicles are routinely checked using specialist equipment, yet the assessment on taxis only involved a ‘visual test’.
Councillor Murphy said: “Taxis are driven many more miles per year than an average motor vehicle, they are on the road for longer and their engines are idled for longer periods of time so a taxi could cause a lot more air pollution. When we are trying to make sure we have clean air, why should taxis not have the same checks as our cars?”
In her written response, Cabinet Member Councillor Barbara Brownridge confirmed that “full emissions tests” will now be carried out on all vehicles.
“My query has come up trumps” said Councillor Murphy. “With over 1,100 private and public hire taxis licensed to operate on Oldham’s roads, carrying out these checks will make a big contribution to reducing air pollution”.