Taxi Driver Online

I'd guess that a major factor here would simply be an increasing number of 'overseas heritage' drivers in the trade.

Not really too sure about the Aberdeen trade. But if you think about the average group of Uber drivers in Birmingham containing the odd token white driver, Aberdeen probably the other way round, and probably twenty years ago it was more likely a sea of white faces

Certainly when I worked in Dundee in the 1990s, I can only recall seeing one obviously, er, overseas heritage driver. Now I'd guess they're a significant cohort, but still in the minority. At a rough guess I'd say Aberdeen would be broadly similar.

The *ranks* in St Andrews, on the other hand, are now really minority WHITE in terms of skin colour. Again, when I started here in the 1990s I can only think of ONE obviously overseas heritage driver, and he didn't last long...

(Although, by contrast, in the UK sense St Andrews was very cosmopolitan back then, with lots of English-born drivers. By contrast, you'd have had to look hard to find an English-born driver in Dundee back then.)

And, ironically, a huge amount of the overseas heritage drivers now in St Andrews actually live in Dundee, which in fact has been a thing subject to at least one local press article, as indeed posted on here a couple of years ago.

Of course, the race angle wasn't mentioned in the press stuff - you'd have to read between the lines, or know the local scene from first-hand experience.

But, rather than the claim in Fife that drivers living in Dundee were flocking to St Andrews to avoid the knowledge test in Dundee, I'd guess a significant reason is that drivers much less likely to suffer this kind of racial abuse in St Andrews as opposed to where they're living across the water in Dundee. (And I'd guess the whole EV thing in Dundee is also a deterrent to working there, as opposed to the knowledge test.)

Anyway...


Exclusive: Aberdeen taxi bosses say drivers are facing more racist abuse from passengers ‘since migrant protests started’

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/ne ... interview/

Aberdeen Taxis boss Chris Douglas said the abuse some of his drivers have faced is "horrendous".

Aberdeen taxi bosses say drivers are facing an upsurge in “horrendous” racist abuse amid rising tensions over immigration which have sparked protests across the north-east.

Russell McLeod and Chris Douglas, who head up the city’s two biggest cab firms, told The P&J that cabbies are having to endure more hate crime.

Trade representatives are now working to stamp out the problem, with talk of putting new signs up in vehicles urging cust0mers to behave respectfully.

The issue hit the headlines in September when high-profile Aberdeen chef Kevin Dalgleish was found guilty of a racially aggravated hate crime after a tirade against driver, calling him a “fat p***”.

Masterchef star Dalgleish later told us he was “ashamed”, as he “sincerely apologised” to the driver who “deserved to be treated with respect regardless of the circumstances”.

“The language I used was completely unacceptable,” he admitted.

Now, the bosses of Aberdeen Taxis and Rainbow City Taxis say this was far from an isolated incident – confirming there is “definitely an issue” towards their drivers.

‘Aberdeen taxi racism has got worse’

Speaking to The P&J, the two industry bigwigs have said that racial abuse directed at cabbies has been on the rise.

Mr Douglas explained that he has even started attending a “hate crime awareness group” as he tries to better understand the issue.

The Aberdeen Taxis boss said: “The reason I started going down the route of looking into this is that we have drivers from all over the world.

“The issue we have is on the evenings and the weekends. There was one weekend where there were three drivers that told me they had been assaulted.

“It’s horrendous. Purely from nothing. Just because of the colour of their skin. That’s not acceptable.

“I would even go as far to say that it’s increased since the migrant refugee situation has been televised.

“It’s increased since then, and that’s a bigger concern to me because I feel like it’s become more relevant in culture.”

Mr McLeod agreed with these statements, saying that there was “absolutely no excuse” for the abuse his and Chris’s drivers have faced.

Back in September, Dundee cabbies held an emergency summit after a surge in racist abuse, with suggestions at the time that Perspex screens or panic buttons could be installed.

What are council doing to tackle cabbie abuse?

At the last Taxi and Private Hire Consultation Group, councillors along with industry chiefs met to discuss what will be done going forward to stamp out racial abuse towards drivers.

Taxi bosses suggested that signs could be posted in the back of cabs to try tackle the rising number of foul outbursts being hurled from the back seat.

Queries were also raised over the right to refuse to pick up passengers if there had been “incidents of hate crime”.

At the meeting, Sergeant John Webster reiterated that any hate crimes should be reported to the police for investigation.

Taxi chiefs will reconvene at the next meeting to see what further steps can be taken.

Racism against taxi/PH drivers has been rife for many years, and I doubt it will ever be erased.

I mean, when you have pi***d up idiots being taken home by immigrant workers, what could possibly go wrong?

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IDFIMH