Black Cab taxi drivers in Glasgow have set up a petition to allow their cabs to be exempt from the new low emission zone rules until 2027, giving them time to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
Glasgow city centre became Scotland’s first Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in December 2018 and this initially applied to local bus services with a view to implementing this for cabbies by 2022. While the plans were temporarily paused in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in May 2020 in several cities including Glasgow, drivers are still concerned that if the legislation is resumed, it will be disastrous for the trade.
The man behind the Glasgow petition, Steven Grant, has suggested that the Government should allow an exemption to black cabs until 2027 rather than push taxi operators into quick fix diesel upgrades. Campaigners believe this would give cabbies adequate time to find investment in future proof Zero-Emission Capable (ZEC) electric taxis.
Tough Times
The taxi trade has indeed been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus crisis as it depends on passengers travelling around for hospitality and leisure purposes. Mr Grant said “It is no exaggeration to suggest that the future of on-demand, fully wheelchair accessible hackney cab transport is at serious risk.”
Manchester Cabbies
Glasgow is not the first city to plea for help from the government. Last week saw hundreds of taxi drivers take to the streets of Manchester to protest against the imminent licensing changes forcing them to purchase zero-emission capable vehicles that meet the Euro 6 emissions standard.
Drivers faced traffic chaos, but many beeped their horns in agreement with the peaceful protest as they blocked the main road outside the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) offices. Karl Warburton, spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Taxi Trade Coalition explained: “The Clean Air Zone proposed is probably more detrimental to us as a cohort of drivers than any other type of transport that’s being affected. It’s just completely unaffordable and we will see the trade decimated right across the entirety of the Greater Manchester region.”
Cab Direct Commitment
We are committed to helping the taxi trade by introducing hybrid and electric taxis to our range at affordable prices. Plus, we understand that drivers have been hit hard by the recent pandemic and have introduced many special offers including new lower prices across a wide range of our vehicles, £99 deposit on selected models and £500 off all in-stock Toyotas. Furthermore, we understand that the requirement for hybrid and electric hackney vehicles is more important than ever and with the offering very limited in the UK currently, we are working on a strategic plan to introduce a bespoke hybrid of our own. Watch this space!
For more information please call the number at the top of this page or enquire online.