Plans unveiled for £33.8m hub
Tourism development could support 170 jobs Cab boss says industry is ‘decimated’
Bosses at a Perth care home where 19 staff and residents tested positive for COVID-19 were served with an improvement notice after a visit from inspectors.
Glenhelenbank Residential Home was originally visited in July last year when concerns were raised that the lax arrangements around the storage and disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE) could put its residents at greater risk of catching the killer virus.
And a new report reveals a follow-up visit in December failed to ease concerns about the facility.
The Care Inspectorate graded the home “unsatisfactory” for its care and support throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
The report said: “We continue to have concerns about practice in terms of management and leadership, infection protection and control, the management of COVID-19 and the service’s ability to assess and limit risks.”
Management at the home insist steps have been taken to improve the service.
The Scottish Government has been told its offer of a £1500 grant to taxi drivers is too little, too late for an industry “decimated” by the pandemic.
The comments were made by Ace Taxis boss Andy Lothian, who works with around 50 taxi drivers and employs eight office staff at the firm’s base in Perth High Street.
This week the Scottish Government announced councils would contact the country’s 38,000 taxi drivers directly, inviting them to claim the cash available through the Taxi and Private Hire Support Fund.
Taxis are still allowed to operate and the £1500 grant will
be available for costs including licence fees and insurance payments for taxis not on the road.
The offer follows criticism about the level of support offered to the industry.
Taxi journeys have fallen significantly since the start of the pandemic, with the Unite Union claiming 80 per cent of drivers have lost up to three quarters of their usual incomes.
Like every other firm, Ace Taxis has suffered a huge drop in income since restrictions came in on the public’s movement and the closure of schools, bars and restaurants.
The government introduced new tighter COVID restrictions at the weekend limiting takeaway outlets and click-andcollect shopping.
“The trade is decimated,” said Andy. “We are running at a loss.
“I’d estimate we are below half of what we’d normally see coming in. Night trade has totally gone, nobody’s moving.
“In the day, all we are doing is taking folk to buy food at the supermarket.”
Ace Taxis, based at 271 High Street, has been going for 60 years. Andy has been in the trade for 30 years and company boss for 10.
He said: “Any help is welcome. But it is far too little, far too late.
“We operate with selfemployed drivers on a 50/50 basis.
“The drivers buy the taxi licence. I pay for the cars and the insurance. While this situation goes on, I barely cover the cost at the moment. I am not saving, And I know it will come back to bite me in the future. The pandemic will set us back years.
“You save to repair, replenish and reinvest in the cars. As it is, I get two to three years out of a new vehicle, they get hammered by the workload.
“We were supposed to be going electric, moving to electric vehicles. There’s no way that’s happening now.
Scottish finance secretary Kate Forbes MSP said: “We know how difficult this pandemic has been for taxi drivers and their families. They’ve truly gone the extra mile, continuing to provide a vital service for key workers and vulnerable individuals throughout the lockdown and beyond.
“Following the introduction of tighter regulations at Christmas I have trebled the budget originally announced for this fund to £57m, enough to provide grants of £1500 to all of Scotland’s 38,000 taxi and private hire drivers.”
To be eligible for the scheme, taxi and private hire drivers must be licensed for the period October 9, 2020, to at least January 31, 2021.
Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart said: “I understand the hardship that taxi and private hire drivers have faced over the last year, and I welcome this additional targeted support.
“With most of the population staying at home, I do not underestimate just how much demand for taxis will have dropped.”
Unite Scotland claimed that the latest support for the taxi trade in Scotland “discriminates” against the poorest drivers due to their ineligibility for a £1500 grant on the basis they have previously applied for benefits.
The criteria established as part of the funding prohibits taxi drivers from applying for the grant if they have been in receipt of state benefits payments or have applied for but not yet started receiving Universal Credit at the time of applying.
Aberfeldy Taxis owner David Macdougall told the PA he “was not holding his breathe”.
“I am still waiting on Perth and Kinross Council giving out details of the COVID grant for taxi drivers from back in December.
“From what I have been reading this morning in the Taxi News, if you are receiving any of the government grants - you are self employed - it doesn’t look as if you qualify for the £1500 just announced.
“I will have to see what comes from the council.”