Yellow taxis must be green by 2012

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered all of the city's taxis to be environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles within five years.

Yellow taxis currently travel around 14 miles on a gallon of fuel in the congested streets of Manhattan.

But hybrid vehicles can switch off their fossil fuel-burning engines when they are in traffic, relying on electricity instead, so their carbon emissions are reduced.

Mr Bloomberg claims the switch will increase the fuel consumption of taxis to 30 miles per gallon.

Taxi owners must now buy hybrid vehicles, and it is predicted New York's entire fleet of 13,000 yellow cabs will be replaced by 2012.

Mr Bloomberg said: "There's too much traffic, there's too much stuff in the air, and we're not green enough."

Mr Bloomberg also wants New York to use hybrid-powered dustcarts and buses.

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