GLASGOW cabbies are urging the council to intervene in the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) scheme before the city loses ‘a significant number of taxis’ when it is introduced.

The city’s LEZ final phase is due to take effect in June 2023, but taxi drivers and owners feel that the ‘pressures’ of this plan will result in a considerable loss of trade.

We previously reported that of Glasgow’s 1419 hackney taxis, 72% do not comply with LEZ Euro 6 standards, and cabbies have said they have not had enough time or money to get their vehicles ready.

In a letter submitted to a city councillor last week and mentioned in the Glasgow Times’ Secret Glasgow Taxi Driver column this week, Glasgow Taxis Ltd has highlighted four main requests.

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They have called for an extension of the 10-month deadline, as well as more clarity on what is required of them to comply with the plan.

Furthermore, drivers are also urging the council to review what funding support they may need to make their vehicles low emission and safeguard any future switches to zero emission.

Drivers at the city’s George Square rank agree that June is too soon when other councils in Scotland have given their city’s drivers until 2024.

One told the Glasgow Times: “Last week was the first letter issued to owners. It’s been rumours and hearsay for two years but now we’ve been told officially."

Glasgow City Council has insisted, however, that their letter follows "extensive" previous engagement with the sector.

The driver added: “I think Glasgow City Council is hellbent on pushing ahead with this in June when other councils have pushed it back a year for taxi drivers.”

In March, Anna Richardson, Glasgow’s Carbon Reduction Convenor, stated that if drivers who are not compliant by June 2023 can prove that they are in the process of becoming so, they would still be able to work.

But Glasgow Taxis argue that following this, they have requested more clarification on what drivers must do to be considered as having ‘entered the process’ and claim they have received no response.

Another city cab driver feels that while the requirements are clear enough, drivers simply do not have enough time to prepare their vehicles.

He is also frustrated that he has taken steps to be compliant and purchased a new exhaust, but after it was retrofitted, he was told it hasn’t been fitted properly.

He said: “I’ve just bought a new exhaust for £2000 and I’ve been told bits are coming away and it’s not been done right.”

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The impact of Covid on the taxi trade has created a ripple effect on drivers’ financial fears. One driver told the Glasgow Times that while recovering from the trade loss, he “cannot afford” to buy a new cab at £60,000.

He said: “I don’t know how they expect us to fork out thousands to retrofit our cars when we’re coming back from the pandemic.”

Calum Anderson, chair of Glasgow Cab Section, previously said that many drivers fell into debts of tens of thousands with no income to see them through two ‘tough’ lockdowns.

Glasgow Taxis Ltd now feels that the impending LEZ deadline is becoming the industry’s ‘greatest ever challenge’, and – if their requests are not considered by the council – they could reach the point of no return.

A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: “Although we’ve made good progress in recent years to improve Glasgow’s air quality, some of our city centre streets continue to have stubbornly high levels of harmful air pollution which is why restricting access to the most polluting vehicles from next year is vital to protect public health.

“The letter issued by the council to taxi operators follows extensive previous engagement with the sector and highlights the funding support available from Transport Scotland for operators to achieve emissions compliance ahead of all vehicle enforcement from next June.

"This funding represents the best value method for operators to become compliant with the LEZ in advance of enforcement.”

With regards to the letter sent by Glasgow Taxis Ltd, a council spokesperson added: "We received correspondence last week from Glasgow Taxis in respect of LEZ enforcement and we will be responding to the points made very shortly.”