There are currently 13 electric taxis circulating in Ghent. In no other Flemish city do so many drive. That is why Bond Beter Leefmilieu, de Belgian taxi federation (GTL) and the city of Ghent are campaigning to encourage people to ask for an electric copy when ordering a taxi. This improves the air quality. Moreover, the ride is not a penny more expensive than a 'normal' taxi ride.

“The city of Ghent has demonstrated that you can green a taxi fleet in a very short time by retaining permits for electric vehicles and by issuing a purchase premium,” says Bart Dumoulin of Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL).

The last obstacle to overcome is the shortage of fast charging stations. A taxi that has been standing still for a long time during loading does not yield any money.

“We fully support BBL's campaign and the move to fully electric taxis. In the long term, we want to go to a fully electric taxi fleet in Ghent, which is why we now also want to entice customers to use those electric taxis. We have also budgeted this year to roll out the first fast charging station for the taxi sector, ”said Mobility Ships Filip Watteeuw.

many advantages

In cafes and restaurants, colorful posters highlight the benefits of electric taxis: fresh air for the city, noiseless and no more expensive than any other taxi. Tourist attractions, companies, hospitals and residential care centers all receive tailor-made information about the electric taxi. This is part of the Clean Power for Taxis project, which aims to have at least 2020% of the Flemish taxi fleet driven electrically by 10. 

more and more electric taxis 

In 2017, BBL and GTL started assisting cities, municipalities and their taxi companies with the switch to electric taxis. There are now 13 electric taxis in Ghent. Leuven, leader of the first hour, follows closely with a fleet of 10. A total of 30 clean e-taxis are driving around in Flanders. 

Also read: Taxi ride twice as expensive in Ghent by way of calculating