Bucharest mayor wants cash-for-clunkers program for cabs

Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea has announced a cash-for-clunkers (Rabla) program for cabs in the September 17 meeting of the city’s General Council.

As part of the program, cab owners can receive eco-vouchers of EUR 3,000 to exchange their car for a Euro 6 emission standard, non-diesel, hybrid or electric one, G4media.ro reported.

The program would be implemented for two years, between 2020 and 2021.

“We need to admit that a citizen that has a car drives it two, three, maximum four times per day, on average, according to the data we have, 30 km per day, whereas a cab driver can reach even 150 km per day. This is how much pollution one cab driver can cause in the city,” the mayor explained, quoted by Mediafax.

According to the mayor, of the 10,055 cab licenses in Bucharest, 7,500 are legal, while the remaining ones are involved in various litigations. Of the 7,500 cabs, 5,500 are polluting ones.

“This is where our project aims to solve the issue of pollution and we aim to start granting 3,000 vouchers beginning January 1, 2020. The following year the other 2,500 vouchers for cabs would be granted,” Firea said.

The mayor said the project will be backed up by refinancing a 2015 credit, News.ro reported.

“You might say the effort is big but it is a small one compared to its positive outcome in the city. I’m saying it again, for our health, our children’s health, that of those visiting us, it is much more important to prevent than to treat illnesses that are made worse by pollution,” she said.

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