Homes and Property | Home PageCabbies take on Ken over exhaust filtersNew equipment: taxi drivers say they were forced to pay nearly £2,000 to have exhaust filters fitted and another £400 to have them modifiedKatharine Barney|Evening Standard12 April 2012Nearly 1,000 taxi drivers are to launch a challenge against a decision by Ken Livingstone to make them fit exhaust filters in their cabs.The drivers claim the filters are too costly and unsuitable for driving in the city.The London Cab Drivers Club is seeking permission from the High Court for a judicial review against Transport for London and its licensing authority, the Public Carriage Office.Since July last year drivers of 15,000 older London black cabs, out of a total fleet of 21,000, have been required to fit filters to keep exhaust fumes below the EU emissions standard.Taxi drivers say they were forced to pay an initial £1,900 for the equipment and a further £400 to have it modified.Chairman of the club, Alan Fleming, said: "After cabs have done approximately 2,000 miles, the system clogs up and they just belch out black smoke."Mr Livingstone said: "The Cab Drivers Club is a small reactionary clique who have opposed everything I have done as Mayor for six years."
