Taxi Driver Online

There's a regular 'Secret Glasow Taxi Driver' column in this outlet, but it's normally about stuff a bit peripheral to the trade, so I don't normally read it.

This is a good, but brief, assessment of some of the issues facing the trade, though, although the issues will be familiar to regulars on here or who read the trade press.


Taxi trade challenges 'ain't pretty no matter the city'

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/231 ... tter-city/

One of the biggest myths Glasgow taxi drivers face is the pre-conceived notion of many members of the public that the challenges facing the trade here are a “Glasgow problem”.

This couldn’t be further from the truth, and I’ll provide plenty of evidence in this week’s column to show that.

Truth is, if the problems we faced were exclusively Glasgow problems we would fix them or at least try to. The fact they are commonplace elsewhere underlines that they are attached to wider societal and economic issues, many complex, which sadly have no quick fix.

That’s not to say there aren’t some Glasgow-specific issues, most notably the Low Emission Zone with earlier deadlines here than elsewhere, but generally we face the same challenges as most other UK cities.

Less drivers post-pandemic, an ageing workforce, drivers parking up and retiring, not enough people joining the trade, regulations outwith our control meaning it takes too long to qualify as a taxi driver, huge peaks (and some troughs) in demand, environmental targets, strikes, pricing, pedestrianisation, petrol or fuel issues… most of these apply in most UK cities.

Here’s just a few recent headlines as evidence:

‘Town facing chronic shortage of taxi drivers as customers kept waiting’ (Liverpool / St Helens).

‘Edinburgh Airport passengers form massive queue for taxis as Capital Cars drivers take strike action’.

‘Hundreds of taxi drivers quit working in Sandwell’ (Birmingham).

‘London taxi maker to cut 140 workers after Covid hits demand’.

‘Aberdeen Airport taxis slammed after traveller forced to wait 30 minutes for cab’.

‘Glasgow’s taxi shortage misery revealed as stats show huge drop in private and black cabs’.

‘Renewed calls for more female drivers to get behind the wheel of a taxi across the UK’.

You get the idea, eh? And while this wasn’t intended to be a doom and gloom column, hopefully it serves as a reality check for some that the issues on our doorstep often exist elsewhere.

There are of course solutions to most of the above - but it takes a hell of a lot of goodwill, collaboration, investment and critically a genuine understanding of our trade and these issues to move forward positively. We're waiting!

Meantime, us drivers out there continue doing the best we can, individually and collectively.

What’s that song again? ‘There may be trouble ahead, but while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance - let’s face the music, and drive!’

Stay safe.

I don't know if, as a trade, we are unique in that outside of the trade no one really gives a stuff about us.

So when we have problems/issues it's down to us to sort them out. But when one considers how apathetic large chunks of the trade are, it's no surprise that those problems/issues remain.

_________________
IDFIMH