HERE’S something you don’t see too often...a taxi driver ferrying customers around in a car with ZERO emissions.

Zamir Hussain has become Worcester’s first ever electric car taxi service - and says he wants fellow hackney carriage drivers to follow his example in tackling pollution.

The 31-year-old, who has been driving for eight years, has bought a £14,000 vehicle which can run purely off a battery.

The white electric Toyota Prius, which is 2.5 years old, is super-environmentally friendly and operates from a battery pack in the boot which continuously re-charges.

It comes as a United Nations report reveals it is virtually certain that humans were the main cause of the global warming recorded in the last 60 years.

Mr Hussain, who uses the taxi with his dad Mahbub, 61, said: “We’ve been hearing a lot of concern about pollution in Worcester and people saying there’s too many taxis on the roads.

“Me and my dad sat down and thought about it carefully as the old car was eight years old and we realised it needed replacing.

“We said ‘let’s see what’s on offer and what we can buy’, and decided to give it a go.

“This was about doing our bit for pollution in the city - we are really hoping it catches on with other drivers.

“The car is fantastic, if you go under 31mph it runs completely on the battery and lets out no emissions at all.

“There’s a battery pack in the boot and it kicks in as you drive and charges as you go, it’s great to use.

“We were sick of reading about pollution problems, so this is our way of making a difference.”

The car also has a petrol tank which weights about 45lbs and costs just £45 to fill up.

If they opt to use the petrol, the car switches off the engine whenever it stops to limit the emissions from it.

But drivers can also use the ‘electric only’ mode, and the battery itself takes around three or four minutes to fully charge.

As your Worcester News revealed in July, the number of taxi drivers in the city has spiralled to a record high of just under 300, compared to 102 in 2001.

Politicians at Worcester City Council have suggested a cap could be put on future numbers if it can be proved there is no need for more.

An independent survey was carried out earlier this month to assess whether that is the case, and the results are due to be published ahead of a licensing committee meeting in November.