Taxi Driver Online

Thanks for doing this ^ I make it about 43% decrease in HC badges. I took the topographical in June 2022 - there was about 15 doing the test that day, so I suppose there are still at least some new badges coming on. But there's obviously a shortage of drivers just now.

Anecdotally, I've heard plate value depends on vehicle it's on - an older cab has more plate value. As well as LEZ, Glasgow has a new-for-old rule. So you can only replace a cab with a newer one. There's still TX1s operating here and previously they could have continued being licensed indefinitely, but they'll need to replace or retrofit for LEZ now. That must devalue the plates even more.

Interesting to see the nearly 2-1 taxi to taxi-driver ratio is now nearly 1-1.

So even less reason for taxi owners to invest £80,000 in a new motor.

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IDFIMH

Also interesting is the near 1-1 ratio for the PH trade.

I wonder how many taxi journeymen have gone PH on Uber in recent times.

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IDFIMH

perhaps that's what the figures show a move to owner drivers without jockeys ? After all the Uber drivers if licensed locally will be included or maybe the decline is because a lot have switched to wolves licensing ?

Josef any insights ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Isn't the near one driver per car near the norm for the PH trade?

But, of course, if PH vehicle numbers had been capped around the turn of the century then 'doubled' private hire cars would have become the norm by now

But, yes, HCDs maybe moving to private hire and Uber in particular over the past few years may also mean the HC badge numbers exaggerate the true number of badgeholders actually driving HC, and instead many might actually be driving PH.

That's because an HC badge in Scotland is effectively a dual-badge, although it's not described as such. But any HCD moving over to PH could use the same badge, thus they might retain an HC badge, and that would show in the HC badge figures, whereas in reality they'll be private hire drivers.

However, the reverse isn't true - a PH badge can't be used to drive an HC, so to that extent the PH badge numbers couldn't distort the picture in the same way that HC badge numbers might exaggerate how many are actually driving HCs.

And, of course, that process is likely to accelerate as LEZ bites by next year - instead of plating an LEZ-compliant HC, some HC badgeholders might instead decide to move over to PH.

On the other hand, LEZ could improve the HC driver-to-vehicle ratio as some HC owner-drivers give up owning, and jockey instead. That's certainly been the case in London, I think, as singled cabs have become a bit less like the norm.

And, Edders, if there are any Wolves-plated cars working in Glasgow then I'll hand my plate back

Or, at least, I would think numbers would be negligible. Not even sure what the legal position is, but I only ever recall reading of one Wolves-plated car working in Scotland, and I think that was Perth?

However, Wolverhampton simply isn't an issue in Scotland.

Maybe in areas which don't have PH restrictions.

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IDFIMH

Missed this piece from three months ago. Nothing particularly new, but the PHD who's quoted is a bit OTT

Most of what the HCD GMB rep says about it all is bang on, though


CAR-BAN DIOXIDE I’m a taxi driver – Glasgow’s LEZ is costing me hundreds and it’s only been a month

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/motors ... -hundreds/

A TAXI driver has hit out at the new low-emission zone in Glasgow, saying that the new rules are costing him hundreds of pounds.

The scheme was introduced on June 1 in an effort to improve air quality in the city, and support wider climate change targets.

The council has previously said the main cause of Glasgow's nitrogen dioxide levels was traffic.

But private hire car drivers claim they have been left to pay the price.

New rules mean motorists can be slapped with penalties from £60 to £480 for bringing non-compliant vehicles into the LEZ.

Petrol cars and vans will need to have engines at the Euro 4 standard, which generally applies to vehicles registered after 2006.

Diesel-powered cars and vans will need to be at the Euro 6 standard, mainly applying to vehicles registered after 2015.

Glasgow based Uber driver Saleem Dean, 60, spoke to the Scottish Sun about the huge financial burden these new restrictions have placed on him.

He has to shell out thousands of pounds for a new car that will comply with the LEZ rules so he can keep on working in the city centre.

He said: "It cost me £39,000 to change my car so I had a new one that worked for the LEZ zone. I work for Uber. They don't help with the expenses, I have to pay it myself.

"It has affected me a lot. I'm worried about the repayments every month. It's £620 a month. Then again cars for rent are £200, so we're stuck. What can I say? We are stuck. We have to comply with the regulations. If I don't do that, I can't work."

Colin Dodd, the lead GMB union representative in Scotland, also spoke out on behalf of cab drivers who have been affected by the new shake up.

He said although he believes the city council is aiming to make changes that would be possible in a perfect world, it will lead to business being driven out of Glasgow city centre.

The trade union rep thinks punters will start shopping and partying outside of the LEZ areas to avoid fines that come with driving into Glasgow, which will also affect trade for taxi drivers.

He said: "I know there are a number of drivers who actually had to give up their cars and hand the plates back because of the situation.

"I’m a Hackney taxi driver but I don’t want to buy a 70 grand vehicle, which is really a hybrid – it’s not even electric. Especially after Covid, you really don’t want to take a chance on making that purchase because of the risk involved. We didn’t get much help from the Scottish Government during the pandemic.

"That’s why so many probably don’t want to go and purchase a 70 grand Hackney. It’s too much money to invest.

"I drive in Glasgow and Edinburgh and although you see one or two people cycling, it’s not the amounts they say it is. Even in this nice hot weather, I’ve seen four people cycling. Where are these masses of people jumping on a bike?

"They’ve used the money for infrastructure and they’ve used it all wrong on the way they’ve designed the cycle lanes. They’ve rushed it and wasted a lot of money on it.

"LEZ will actually force people to move outside of the zones for business. A lot of people will start shopping at the Fort and Braehead because they can park there without getting fined. Somebody sent me a photograph of the city centre and it looked deserted even during the day."

This comes after Dunns Food and Drinks company claimed it could be fined up to £140,000 in penalties for its day-to-day operations when Glasgow's Low Emission Zone kicks in.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: "This year is a key milestone in our work to reduce levels of air pollution, with the full roll-out of our Low Emission Zone (enforcement commenced 1 June 2023) to include all vehicles to maximise the air quality benefits it can deliver.

"Poor air quality presents a serious risk to public health and so the LEZ is an essential measure if Glasgow is to tackle the harmful air pollution that has dogged parts of the city centre for decades.

"Glasgow’s plan to phase in a city centre LEZ was announced in 2018 and since then there has been an extensive programme of communications and engagement to raise awareness of the scheme, its timescale for introduction and the availability of funding to ease compliance.

"Practical, targeted assistance from the Scottish Government to help prepare those most affected by the introduction of LEZs in Scotland, has since 2019 included funding for households and micro-businesses, and a separate retrofit fund including support for taxi drivers. In this time £1.4M in grants have been paid to Glasgow region taxi operators for vehicle retrofits, with a further £1.1M awarded.

"While the vast majority – up to 90% - of vehicles currently entering the city centre are unaffected, the LEZ standards will address the most polluting vehicles which are disproportionately creating the harmful concentrations of air pollution in the city centre.

"Glasgow has historically recorded the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution of any Scottish city and has been the first to monitor a return to nitrogen dioxide levels above the legal requirements during recovery from the pandemic. It is reasonable that Glasgow has enforced the LEZ at the earliest opportunity to help bring down pollution levels to a more acceptable level and reduce the health impacts on those who visit, work and live in the city centre."

He had to spend nearly £40k on a PHV to comply with the LEZ?

And even if the average reader takes all that without a huge pinch of salt, they'll be wondering what on earth he's on about regarding loan repayments and the rental alternative. Presumably the £200 is the weekly rental

Commonly called a load of old fanny.

Even if he bought a 100% electric vehicle, you can get the estate MGs for way under £30,000.

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IDFIMH

lucky bar steward,the electric taxi is 70k BEFORE you add on the finance charges

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i started out with nothing and ive still got most of it left