Glasgow City Council’s deadline for cabbies to switch to green vehicles is approaching and a Scottish lawmaker is urging them to back off. There have been urgent calls once again for Glasgow City Council to back down on the rollout of new Low Emission Zone rules facing hackney cab drivers.
1,000 Vehicles at Risk
There are ongoing concerns being raised about the number of taxis that might be left operating in the city as a result of Glasgow Low Emissions Zone rules that come into play next year. Unite Union Glasgow Cab Section has stressed that over 1,000 iconic taxi vehicles might be removed from the streets in one fell swoop if an extension is not provided to meet requirements.
Jenny Gilruth, the Scottish Minister for Transport, has been urged to provide an extension by Unite Union spokesman Andy Drobin. Local authorities across the UK are delaying LEZ rollout due to financial and supply chain issues that are facing taxi operators. Glasgow City Council is digging in its heels, despite the possibility of financial catastrophe.
Cabbies Need More Time
According to Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland drivers in the city need more time, or they will leave the trade. He tweeted “Cabbies need more time, or we will lose them. It’s as simple as that”.
The Scottish Hospitality Group agrees, saying that the taxi industry has yet to recover from the financial fallout of the pandemic. The group went on to say that in order to allow businesses to get back on their feet, ‘something must give.’ Unreasonable debt burdens at a time when businesses are struggling to recover and banks are reluctant to lend money will cause despair and result in business failures and mental health problems, in addition to driving business owners to despair.
In light of these calls, Unite Union spokesperson said, “We are fielding calls daily from members who are at their wits’ end. Totally stressed, worrying about losing their livelihoods, as well as all the other cost of living pressures. It’s so unnecessary as Glasgow City Council can delay the rollout for another 12 months”.
As of spring this year, out of the 1,420 hackney cabs licensed by Glasgow City Council, around 1,000 did not meet the requirements set for them.
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