Taxis 4 Smart Mobility’s first reaction to the legislative proposal on corporate fleets decarbonisation
Taxis 4 Smart Mobility (T4SM) takes note of the European Commission legislative proposal on Clean Corporate Vehicles, published on December 16 as part of the Automotive Package. While some positive elements are present, a lot of questions and concerns raised by industry and stakeholders in recent months remain unanswered.
Taxis are at the centre of road decarbonisation and are often considered, including in the proposal, as a key fleet to decarbonise given their high mileage. With the right enabling conditions, this is the case.
For the sector, the local aspect is fundamental, as mobility realities vary significantly across European Member States, regions, and cities. In this context, only local administrations are equipped to have an accurate understanding of the urban mobility needs of their citizens and consumers – who ought to remain at the centre of any policy discussion on the topic – of the infrastructure readiness, and of any relevant operational constraints.
In this sense, T4SM welcomes the Commission’s decision not to impose sector-wide mandate. In this sense, T4SM welcomes the Commission’s decision to rely on Member States and make them accountable for defining the most appropriate path to achieve the objectives, rather than imposing a sector-wide mandate and opting for a one-size-fits-all approach.
The current proposal does not provide strong guarantees on enabling conditions, especially on charging infrastructure and financial support, which creates a real risk that pressure will shift unevenly onto locally regulated services such as taxis.
T4SM calls on EU legislators to ensure that the focus of the sector decarbonisation shifts on to enabling conditions. In the coming weeks T4SM will engage constructively with the European Parliament and the Council to help shape a legislative outcome that supports a sustainable, realistic and locally grounded transition to zero-emission urban mobility.
