Glasgow Taxi drivers to get LEZ reprieve if they prove they are trying to comply

The LEZ final plan is due to  take effect on June 2023 but taxi drivers and owners said that they need more time as compliance is costly and the pandemic has massively hit their income.

Glasgow Taxis had warned that unless there was another extension then up to 1000 of the citys 1400 black cabs could be forced off the road.

READ MORE: Glasgow LEZ plans drive on as taxi owners seek longer exemption

Dougie McPherson, Glasgow Taxis chairman, wrote to Anna Richardson Glasgow’s Carbon reduction convenor asking for a  further extension to the  scheme.

He said: “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.

At a council committee tomorrow, Ms Richardson has put forward an amendment to give more time but only if owners have shown they have taken steps to comply.

She is not proposing an extension to the LEZ timescale but instead making concessions for drivers who are trying to comply.

It means if drivers have applied for grants to retrofit their vehicle, or are waiting for work to be carried out or are in the process of buying a new cab they will not face enforcement action when the rules change.

She said: “If by June 2023, a taxi isn’t compliant but the driver can show that the process is underway to convert their vehicle, such as applying for a grant, we want those drivers to be able to continue to run their business in the meantime.

“But they would need to be able to demonstrate that the process was underway, that they were already taking action, by early 2023.

“The taxi trade has had a torrid time this past couple of years because of the pandemic and the loss of income has clearly had an impact on uptake of the retrofitting scheme.”

Glasgow Taxis Ltd said there are issues with production of new cabs and no second hand ones for sale.

They stated: “Euro VI Mercedes and Pro Cabs are no longer under production and available to buy.  

“Furthermore, as you may be aware, the availability of the LEVC Hybrid is subject to uncertainty due to the worldwide semiconductor chip shortage.

“Given the position across the UK, there is little or no second market availability either for Hybrid and Euro VI cabs.” 

While recognising the  difficulties faced by taxi owners, Ms Richardson said the LEZ has to go ahead.

She added: “Traffic emissions are on the rise again as the city recovers from the pandemic, and this is having an impact on the air we breathe.

“Whether it is the impact on cardiovascular disease and breathing conditions such as asthma, or the less obvious contribution to conditions such as dementia, diabetes or cancers, air pollution affects us all.

“I know that other cities have longer lead in times for their LEZs but Glasgow’s situation is more pressing, not least because of the chronically poor levels of air quality in some streets.

“I hope that this offer of a time-limited and practical exemption provides the trade with the space to modernise and play its part in a cleaner and healthier city.”