Hundreds of Birmingham black cab drivers being forced out of the trade because of the Clean Air Zone will have up to two years to reclaim a licence.

There are around 1,120 licensed Hackney carriage drivers in the city but from January 1, 2020, when the pollution charge is introduced, around half of them will have to upgrade because their vehicles will be older than 15 years.

With a new diesel taxi costing upwards of £35,000 and a limited second-hand market for them, it is expected scores of drivers will not be able to afford the outlay on time and will have no option but to surrender their licences or allow them to expire finding other means of work.

Black cab drivers conduct a go-slow protest through Birmingham City Centre.
Black cab drivers conduct a go-slow protest through Birmingham City Centre.

The proposals have caused uproar among drivers who have staged a number of go-slow protests throughout the city centre this year demanding more support and concessions from the council.

But following pressure from the trade the council has now passed a proposal which will give many of them a route back.

Since 2008 the authority has operated a moratorium prohibiting the issue of new licences. It was introduced to effectively cap the number of black cabs in Birmingham and tackle problems around excessive queues on the busiest ranks such as New Street Station.

But the moratorium would also have prevented any driver who is being forced to surrender their licence due to the Clean Air Zone from obtaining another one down the line - perhaps when they could afford a compliant taxi.

That was until this week when the Licensing and Public Protection Committee granted an exemption for up to 24 months.

Cllr Majid Mahmood.
Cllr Majid Mahmood.

Cllr Majid Mahmood (Lab, Bromford and Hodge Hill), on the committee, welcomed the move arguing the Clean Air Zone will be 'unduly harsh' on cabbies.

He said: "We need to remember these vehicles cost about £35,000 so to give up the moratorium is a good situation for ourselves and the drivers because we may have drivers who give their licence up on January 1 because they can't afford the vehicle, but over the next year or so they will be able to carry out another job or secure an investment in order to buy that.

"We don't want to lose the knowledge and expertise of our hackney carriage drivers, they are ambassadors for the city.

"Coming from Birmingham Airport they are the first people you tend to see."

He had pushed for a three-year exemption from the moratorium but the committee voted to keep it at two, in line with the request from the trade.

Taxis drive slowly on Smallbrook Queensway

The Clean Air Zone will impose an £8 daily charge on high-polluting cars travelling inside - but not on - the A4540 Middleway Ring Road.

For regular motorists the fee will apply to diesel vehicles older than EURO 6 (manufactured before 2015) and petrols cars older than EURO 4 (made before 2006).

However for black cab drivers the emission standard has been replaced by a 15-year age cut-off for vehicles while private hire drivers face a 12-year age restriction.