Support plea for taxi drivers losing income
THE chairman of Glasgow City Council’s licensing committee has written to the Scottish Government to highlight the financial plight of cab drivers during Covid-19.
Councillor Alex Wilson has asked I for the opportunity to discuss with officials the possibility of greater financial assistance being made available to the trade, to support this part of the city’s transport network and the livelihood of its drivers and operators.
The letter highlights that financial aid is vital to help the in this situation to help the industry survive the pandemic.
In it Mr Wilson says: “While the trade as a whole has been badly hit across the country as a result of many people working from home together with the restrictions on hospitality and socialising more generally, it is increasingly clear that the combined impact of the virus and the restrictions required to suppress transmission are having a hugely differential impact on those working within Scotland’s cities.
“It is not an exaggeration to say Glasgow’s taxi and private hire car trade has been particularly badly hit as it relies so heavily on our vibrant night time economy, commercial sector and on our major sporting and cultural events calendar.
“Without this activity and the need to transport people across the city, the trade has been left with very little business to sustain what was once a thriving sector and one which will be vital to restarting and supporting our city’s economy once restrictions begin to ease.”
The letter also stresses that the curfews put on pubs and restaurants has also had a negative effect on the taxi and private hire trade with less people requiring transport home at the end of a night out.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We thank the convener for his letter and we fully appreciate just how difficult the pandemic has been for taxi drivers and their families.
“We welcome the extension of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme so drivers can obtain 80 per cent of previous earnings.
“The Economy Secretary has written to the Chancellor calling for this to be extended to the recently self-employed. We are currently considering further support for fixed costs pressures on self-employed taxi drivers and others, as well as providing the new Strategic Framework Business Fund.
“Throughout this unprecedented economic crisis we have listened to businesses and acted quickly to offer support, which now exceeds £2.3 billion.”