Glasgow's taxi trade is facing its biggest crisis ever ahead of the introduction of Low Emissions Zone in 2023.
It's been warned that Black Cab drivers could walk out in their hundreds over the new rules that would see vehicles that don't meet Low Emission Zone standards fined for driving in the city.
Despite the council allowing drivers who can prove they are in the process of upgrading their cars a 'temporary exemption', hundreds of taxis could be lost from the trade, it's been warned.
Unions have warned of a 'black cab blackout' that would mean fewer wheelchair accessible vehicles and fewer drivers to serve the hospitality sector.
Unite Union Glasgow Cab section are calling for the introduction of the scheme to be pushed back until 2024 to allow the sector time to recover from the pandemic.
The decision to allow drivers who have applied for retrofitting grants, are awaiting work to be carried out on their cabs or in the process of buying new vehicles a 'temporary exemption', has been described as a 'non-starter'.
Steven Grant, Branch Secretary, said: "We're extremely disappointed, the plan is a non-starter. Drivers will just hand their plates back between now and 2023 unless the landscape changes before then.
"Drivers are feeling a great deal of stress and anxiety over this.
"The situation is the perfect storm. After two years of the pandemic, the industry is already on its knees.
"Add in the fact that the number of cars available has been cut to just one - the £60,000 LEVC TX. The Mercedes-Benz Vito Euro 6 diesel taxi is no longer being manufactured, nor is the Ford Procab Euro 6 diesel taxi.
"There's a severe shortage in the used car market in London so our usual supply chain has disappeared. As well as that the retrofitting is only being done in dribs and drabs, it's taking a long time for anyone who pays to actually get it done.
"Most cars will have the retrofitted at a large cost. The average age of drivers in Glasgow is 57, they're not at the age where they want to take on £60,000 of finance to retrofit and the plates are now worthless so hundreds will just walk away.
"I can't see myself continuing this career in the future."
Earlier this week, an attempt to delay the expansion of the LEZ to help the trade failed. The city’s Labour group had proposed pushing back enforcement of the zone until June 2024 but lost out in a narrow vote.
Glasgow Taxis Ltd has now written to the council warning of the devastating impact on the trade going ahead with the June 2023 deadline would have.
Chairman Dougie McPherson has given one final, stark warning to the council that no further extension will expedite the demise of the trade.
In a letter emailed to Councillor Anna Richardson, he said: “The introduction of the LEZ as proposed on 1 June 2023 will … be devastating to the service provision of public hire taxis, a key component of the public transport network in the City.
“Without the ability to source, finance and operate compliant vehicles, the City Council is condemning the loss of the majority of the City’s current provision of taxis of 1,428 to circa 400 cabs.
“If this is the plan, then I believe you have duty to make the councillors and the wider public in Glasgow aware of this and the justification for doing so on the back of COVID.
“I request that the Paper before the CAC on 10 March 2022 be amended to exclude the application of the LEZ to public hire vehicles (black hackney taxis) from 1 June 2023 in order to align with other Scottish cities and to allow for further dialogue with taxi trade on achievable transition arrangements.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “We have already seen improvements to Glasgow’s air quality since the LEZ was introduced in 2018; with a greater number of greener, less polluting, buses now travelling through our city centre and beyond.
“Increasing the scope of Glasgow’s LEZ to include all vehicles by June 2023 is necessary to ensure that longstanding breaches of air quality objectives are tackled, particularly given the disproportionate health impacts that air pollution has on the most vulnerable
“There has been extensive engagement with the taxi trade since Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone was initially proposed to ensure the trade are fully informed and are aware of the financial aid available to operators to become compliant.
“Whilst core aspects of Low Emission Zones in Scotland have been determined at national level, the council can decide upon the shape, size and scope of our LEZ, based upon local requirements . As such we have committed to enforcing Glasgow’s LEZ from June next year subject to the relevant approvals, following an initial delay caused by COVID-19.
"This approach has included due consideration of a number of factors such as the nature and extent of pollution levels, the expected recovery from the pandemic and impact on future pollution, the delay from the original timescale and the financial aid available to affected groups and individuals.”
