Union bosses claim taxi drivers have been ‘forgotten about’ by Holyrood as they provide cleaning products for safe return to workhttps://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/u ... rk-safely/
Trade union bosses have claimed they have been forced to provide taxi drivers with cleaning equipment because they have been forgotten about by the Scottish Government.
Unite has been handing out handwash and other hygiene products to cabbies to ensure they can properly protect themselves and their customers.
It comes after the government announced a multi-million-pound investment in public transport, such as buses and trains, to help operators safely return to full service.
However, Chris Elder, a Unite representative, has claimed that the government has neglected taxi drivers in their new plans.
“The funding which has just come out left taxi drivers out,” he said. “What we decided to do is purchase cleaning materials ourselves and give them to the drivers so that they can sterilise their vehicles.
“We were trying to highlight that the Scottish Government has left us out. “We felt that it was something we could do to keep drivers and passengers safe.”
The move has been welcomed by Dundee’s taxi drivers, who have had a difficult time during the pandemic.
The closure of pubs and bars has had a huge impact on the trade, along with bans on sheltered groups leaving the house.
Chris believes that the new equipment will allow both passengers and drivers to feel more safe when travelling.
He said: “The guys were more than grateful for the supplies.“Every one of them thanked us yesterday.
“The sanitisers and cleaning products that we handed out are keeping the drivers and the public safe.
“Financially, a lot of them have been struggling very bad. “We need things like shops, clubs and bars to be open, or else we struggle . “Fares have been few and far between.”
Unite plan to continue supplying drivers with cleaning products for the foreseeable future.
“We’ve got top-ups, and we plan on handing them out regularly,” Chris added. “We’ve also got spares, which I can hand out to people.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
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