To: bentway who wrote (338626 ) 5/26/2007 12:07:28 AM From: Elroy Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 1576887 Dubai taxis to go green By Daniel Bardsley, Staff Reporter gulfnews.com Dubai: A ground-breaking decision to introduce hybrid vehicles into Dubai's taxi fleet was announced yesterday. The Dubai Government said the move to hybrid technology in the 6,000-strong fleet of taxis would be a gradual one. It will cut both carbon dioxide emissions and pollution. The decision follows the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that environmental issues should be given priority, as highlighted in the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015. Other major cities which have already introduced hybrid taxis include London, Chicago and New York. Eco-friendly decision hailed Environmentalists have welcomed the Government of Dubai's decision to introduce fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles into Dubai's taxi fleet. Hybrid vehicles have an internal combustion engine along with an electric motor, and have far lower fuel consumption than conventional vehicles. Regenerative braking Many rely on regenerative braking, which allows the vehicle to capture energy when it is travelling down a slope or the driver is braking, and store it for use later. John Coequyt, an energy policy specialist for Greenpeace, said government rulings were "a very good way" of speeding up the move to hybrid technology. "It's absolutely a step forward. It's very impressive that Dubai is ahead of most US cities and a lot of the rest of the world in making the switch to these more fuel efficient cars," he said by telephone from Washington DC. "Not only are hybrids more fuel efficient [cutting greenhouse gas emissions], but they have a lot of additional benefits for urban areas in that they tend to be very clean and very quiet." More than 75 per cent of the air pollution in Dubai is thought to be caused by vehicle emissions.