A decision to enable Dundee taxi drivers to pass their plates on to sons and daughters has been hailed as a little piece of history for the city.
For the first time, individual drivers will be able to create a family business by handing on plates on retirement or selling them to a new operator.
The landmark permission from Dundee City Council is being offered on one condition drivers will have to agree to a permanent switch to electric vehicles.
They must be selected from an approved list and future replacement vehicles associated with plates would also have to be electric.
The local authority itself has the largest fleet of electric vehicles of any council in the UK and has committed to increasing the number of charging points.
It is hoped that the step will help Dundee City Council to address significant issues with air quality, particularly in the city centre.
The decision has been welcomed by David Young, owner of 203020 Taxis, which already boasts the largest electric taxi fleet in the city.
Mr Young has been a long-time advocate of electric vehicles and though he accepts they are not popular with everyone, he believes the deal is a good one for the trade.
He said: “I think this is the first time something like this has been offered to the trade and it is fantastic news.
“The vast majority of individuals that drive taxis are self-employed and they have a personal plate on their car.
“That personal plate is in their own name and because of that they cannot sell the business on and so cannot hand it on to sons and daughters.
“Now every individual can hand back the personal plate and Dundee City Council will give them a corporate plate which they can then pass or sell on, providing they agree to run an electric vehicle.”
Mr Young added: “This is something that drivers have wanted to see happen for some time. Electric vehicles are not everyone’s cup of tea, but the council’s procurement process gives taxi drivers the ability to get a new car at the same price as the local authority.
“The bigger picture, of course, is the impact that this could have upon Dundee’s air quality. We all know that the air quality is bad and it is time that we all did something about it.”
The council has said that existing saloon car operators and wheelchair accessible operators will have separate lists of electrical vehicles to choose from.
While the lists are “limited” it’s hoped that in time more vehicles will come on to the market.
Council charging points across the city have been made available to the trade.