Hundreds of taxi drivers fear they could be out of work in the next few months because their cabs are not green enough. About 1000 received letters last week from Glasgow City Council warning their diesel and petrol cars must be low emission zone (LEZ) ready by next June.
If they fail to comply in the next 10 months, they won’t be allowed to operate in the city. Last night, the taxi drivers union, Unite, warned that most of their members will be unable to afford the cost of converting their hackney carriage vehicles and end up out of work.
Taxi driver and union official Steven Grant has called on Glasgow City Council to pause the programme for another year or see the city’s taxi service decimated. Drivers face paying £4000 each to ensure their vehicles are “retro-fitted” to become LEZ compliant or spending up to £60,000 on a new taxi.
Steven, a cabbie for 13 years, says it is another financial blow for the taxi trade, which is recovering from lockdown. He added: “These letters are effectively redundancy notices from the council to taxi drivers.
“It is a heavy-handed approach to the issue of reducing emissions. The guys do not have the money to meet the cost of fitting their vehicle to make it LEZ compliant or buying a new taxi and instead will have to give up and find another job.” About 1000 Hackney cabs – out of a fleet of 1420 – are non-compliant with Glasgow LEZ standards.
The city introduced its first LEZ in June this year. They are designed to encourage people to drive less polluting vehicles. Similar zones and taxi pollution measures are being taken in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.
Steven added: “We would like to see the Scottish Government pause this LEZ programme to give taxi drivers more time.” Taxi driver – and former bookmaker – James White, 57, from Mosspark, Glasgow, said: “I have the choice of paying £4000 for a ‘retro fit’ or buying a brand new taxi.
“The minumum cost of a new taxi is £42,000 while the electric cars start at about £58,000. I have a mortgage to pay, family and commitments. I just don’t know what the future holds.”
A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “Following approval of Glasgow’s LEZ by Scottish Ministers, we have written to the city’s taxi operators to confirm its operation. The letter highlights funding support for operators to achieve emissions compliance ahead of all-vehicle enforcement from next June.
“We have, however, advised taxi operators that should they make a valid application for funding before the end of October, then a time-limited exemption to Glasgow’s LEZ may be applied.”
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