THE drive to make Worcester greener has accelerated this week with the arrival of the city's first eco-taxis'.

New Worcester cab firm Go-Go-Eco has become the city's first operator to use twin-engine hybrid' vehicles, which are almost silent and emit no fumes when travelling at low speeds.

The Toyota Prius cars run on a rechargeable electric motor when waiting in traffic or travelling slowly, but have a normal petrol engine which kicks in when they accelerate quickly or drive at higher speeds.

The overall driving experience is identical to that of a normal petrol-engine car - but with considerably less fuel consumption.

"There are so many taxis on Worcester's roads now, and they're all pumping out a lot of emissions," said company owner Jon Higgins.

"It's much better for the environment to have cars running around giving out no emissions at all."

The only hitch Mr Higgins faced in his quest to bring three eco-cabs to Worcester was council red-tape - all private hire vehicles in Worcester must have a minimum engine capacity of 1600cc.

The Toyota Prius has only a 1500cc engine but, keen to encourage the use of such hybrid cars, Worcester City Council's licensing committee has moved quickly to change its regulations.

Councillor Andy Roberts, committee chairman, said: "We should definitely be celebrating this - it's a tremendous advance for the city. We must all welcome the thought that most of the time these vehicles are in the town they will be putting out no emissions.

Deputy Mayor councillor Lucy Hodgson added: "I welcome this - I think it's really good for the city and it's something we should be shouting about from the rooftops."

Coun Roberts sounded one word of caution, however. "When travelling at low speeds, these cars are silent," he said. "That will be fantastic in residential areas at night - but it's also something we'll all have to get used to.

"You wouldn't want to step off the kerb without hearing one coming."

Mr Higgins, however, insisted this would not be a problem.

"You can hear them - they're not totally silent," he said. "I think this is definitely the way forward. The more eco-friendly our taxis can become, the better."