The thread title is my own take, not the newspaper's. Nothing particularly exciting about the article or the student scheme, but reckon it's all part of Glasgow Taxi's PR offensive to claw back work lost to Uber and other PH operations.
One comment below the article (which I've included below) probably sums up the situation nicely - Uber is mopping up the student work. Nice bit of free advertising though.
(Recall that Glasgow Taxis has about 800 black cabs (almost 60% of Glasgow's HCs) and claims to be the biggest HC circuit outside London.)
Taxi scheme helps over 150 stranded Glasgow students get home safelyhttps://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/175 ... me-safely/
Image: Glasgow Taxis/Evening TimesOver 150 Glasgow students stranded without money were taking home by a city taxi firm last year. The Student Taxi Scheme, led by Glasgow Taxis Ltd in partnership with the University of Glasgow, Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University, was launched in 2015.
The programme allows any university student in the city without cash to get home in a Glasgow Taxi, just by using their matriculation card.
Through the initiative, Glasgow Taxis Ltd can provide the students with access to a Safe Taxi by calling and quoting a code available from the university. The student then gives the driver their student card and repays the cost to their Students’ Union when they collect their card after one working day.
A spokesman for Glasgow Taxis Ltd said: “We’re very proud of the relationship we have with the city’s universities and nowhere is that more important than through our Safe Taxi Scheme, which has now been running for almost four years.
"First and foremost, I’d like to thank our members and drivers for supporting this scheme and for their role in ensuring these 150 students all made it home safely last year, many of them new to the city of Glasgow.
“The stereotypical view is that these are students who have run out of money at the end of a night out, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
"Two recent cases involved one student who had been admitted to hospital and another at a police station who had witnessed an incident. Thankfully they were aware of our scheme and able to get home safely and quickly, alleviating not only their own stress but that of their families and friends.
“It’s another demonstration of Glasgow Taxis Ltd giving back in our position as a friend of the city. I’m delighted to confirm that we are committed to continuing the Safe Taxi Scheme throughout 2019 and look forward to continuing to support the three universities and their students when they need us most.”
Fatemeh Nokhbatolfoghahai, Vice President of Student Support at the University of Glasgow, added: “Over the last three years many of our students have benefitted from our partnership with Glasgow Taxis.
"This safety net plays an important role in protecting students at moments when they are often vulnerable and isolated with no financial means to get home. Student safety has long been a priority for The Students’ Representative Council and The University of Glasgow and we look forward to continuing to work with Glasgow Taxis.”
The announcements came shortly after Glasgow Taxis Ltd unveiled a new look to help demonstrate the variety of work and acts of kindness its people carry out on a daily basis – as Your City’s Friend.
Joe Black wrote:
'This is laughable. There is no partnership with Glasgow's universities as the mass usage of Uber at any of the universities or its student residences will prove. The student usage of black hacks has fallen dramatically as well as the night time student business. Schemes like this are just inconvenient for the drivers doing them. While private hire firms were busy promoting and selling their service at all of the universities of Glasgow, Glasgow taxis felt they were too good to do the same. End result the hacks lost out to the student economy. Need to get the finger out.
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