SIX new rapid electric vehicle chargers for taxis are set to be installed in Oxford.

The charging points, installed by Oxford City Council, will take the total number of charging bays for electric taxi drivers to 16 in the city.

Work will start on Monday to install the first charging unit in Keble Road, with more locations to be confirmed.

Installation work of the Keble Road unit is expected to take place until July 16.

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Oxford city councillor Tom Hayes, cabinet member for green transport and zero carbon Oxford, said: “No electric taxi driver will be more than five miles away from fully charging their cab within sixty minutes.

“A healthy top up could take just minutes because of these new rapid chargers.

“We’re moving from a 100 per cent diesel taxi fleet to a 100 per cent electric taxi fleet – taxi drivers will save big sums over their vehicle’s lifetime and help to protect people by cleaning Oxford’s air and reducing carbon emissions.”

The city council is set to introduce a Zero Emission Zone pilot in August, while the Government is banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

There are currently seven electric taxis in Oxford.