Cabbies are easy target

IN response to your article (Thursday, November 14) yet again the City Council is using the big stick tactic against one section of city road users i.e. Glasgow cabbies.

Whilst I agree some changes to behaviour patterns are required, to be threatened with losing licenses and being put out of work because the Council have failed to address a much greater traffic problem within the city centre is, in my opinion, discrimination.

According to the article, if a cabbie can’t get on an official taxi rank because of an illegally parked vehicle then the taxi has to find an alternative area to work.

Is that not in fact endorsing and encouraging the practice of illegal parking – the same offence a cabbie can be disciplined for and lose his or her livelihood?

And what about the very large amount of private hire vehicles that cause more chaos by double parking, blocking main roads within the city also using official taxi ranks to ply for trade (a contravention of their license). What about the large number of buses, especially during peak times, who regularly block the yellow cross boxes at main junctions leaving traffic unable to travel? Or the large number of private cars illegally parking within the city (no action taken)? It is quite clear to me that the cabbies make an easy target.

So much has been decriminalised and big cutbacks have left the city centre open to large scale abuse and criminality. This problem is large scale, and requires more than threatening Glasgow cabbies.

H Mckean, Glasgow cabbie