Taxis in Querétaro will be mostly green within five to six years, state lawmakers predict.

The Querétaro state Congress has approved a series of amendments to its mobility laws that will promote the use of renewable energy and electric vehicles by taxi owners.

The new regulations are among the state’s green policies, which have resulted in 45% of taxis — about 3,000 — in Querétaro city to be powered by natural gas instead of gasoline.

Lawmakers expect that in five or six years’ time 100% of taxis in the greater Querétaro metropolitan area will be powered by renewable energy sources.

The new regulation requires that all new taxi concessions issued this year go to electric vehicles (EVs). The law allows for hybrid vehicles to obtain a license throughout 2019, but in 2020 licenses will go to EVs only.

Taxi licenses and permits will also be reviewed, allowing for a single owner to have up to 10. If a taxi permit holder wants to operate a fleet larger than the 10-vehicle limit, the vehicles must be electric.

“The sale of taxi permits in the black market will no longer be tolerated,” said the president of the congressional mobility commission. If permit holders fail to comply with the EV-only regulation, their permits will be rescinded.

Taxi licensees will have between 10 and 16 years to renew their fleets, allowing for a gradual replacement of gasoline-powered cars with their environmentally-friendly counterparts.

Source: Milenio (sp)