Not sure what the proprietor quoted is saying to address the points made by Roseanna Cu-nningham MSP. He seems to be going off at a tangent a bit, and ignoring the point being made.
Anyway, this is what Cu-nningham said originally. Her use of 'private hire taxi' suggests she doesn't know much about the trade, so not clear whether she's talking about HCs or PHVs, or both. But fleets will be mixed in Perth, so she's presumably just meaning either/or, however her comment about drivers standing close to each other suggests it's HCs she's talking about in that instance.
Quote:
Roseanna Cu-nningham MSP has expressed concerns after it was reported by a member of the public.
And one resident who spoke to the Perthshire Advertiser said they had witnessed drivers pick up new hires without any attempt to clean their vehicle.
He also said he had seen taxi drivers standing together while not social distancing in the street.
Ms Cu-nningham has now written to the council asking it to investigate as the body which hands out taxi licences.
She said: “It is quite understandable for people to be concerned if they suspect that private hire taxis are not being wiped down between hires as they should.
“I have brought the issues raised to the attention of council officials and I am sure that they will be looking into the matter.
“I know that most drivers will be doing their best and it is only too human to make mistakes, but I urge all taxi drivers to ensure that they are following all of the guidance they have received at all times.
“Keeping to these rules is about keeping us all safe - drivers and passengers alike.”
But when I read stuff like that I always think it ironic that the likes of Cu-nningham have done zero to protect drivers from drunks and the like. At one point she was the cabinet minister in Scotland responsible for crime and liquor licensing, but had a reputation as a bit of a drunk herself
Kenny MacAskill MSP was her boss as justice secretary, and also had responsibility for licensing the trade. But he also had a well known drink problem, and was once arrested for D&D at an England v Scotland match at Wembley (obviously quite a long time ago now). MacAskill is now a Westminster MP