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.
