CAZ CRISIS
ANGRY TAXI DRIVERS HIT BACK AT GLASGOW’S BOX TICKING LOW EMISSION ZONE PLANS
Taxi drivers have hit back at SNP-run Glasgow City Council after it emerged that more than two-thirds of black cabs are set to be forced out of the city centre. From June 2023, drivers will face a fine of up to £480 if they’re caught driving in the LEZ in a petrol or diesel vehicle that doesn’t meet green standards. The administration hopes to create an entirely car-free area by 2026, stretch- ing from George Square to Hope Street across Argyle Street and up to Cathedral Street. According to a report in GlasgowLive, around 1,000 hackneys - out of a fleet of 1,420 - are currently non-compliant with the LEZ emission standards. Eamonn Gallagher, a Glasgow taxi driver, believes that ‘the idea of a car-free city may sound great on paper” but “in the real world, it’s completely impractical.” He told the Scottish Daily Express what
he thought of the LEZ: “It discriminates against those with a disability or mobility issues. It also makes it very dif- ficult for business in the city to survive.” Eamonn added: “Those pushing the green agenda showed themselves as hypocrites at Cop 26 in Glasgow in November. 400 private jets arranged at Glasgow Airport. Joe Biden and his 22 limousine cascade blew the notion this was about saving a planet 4.5 billion years old out of the water. “The reality [is that] the vehicles they want to replace taxis with use more fuel than the ones going to the scrap yard. Even the electric taxi fully charged has a range of just over 40 miles before needing to be recharged or going over to a petrol engine. It’s a box-ticking exercise. Which benefits no one especially the public.” Another fuming cabbie asked why the
council would “not allow an extension for taxis for the LEZ. Our trade is on its knees and they refuse point blank to allow us to earn some money before we have to go deep in debt to continue working in this city”.
Similar LEZ schemes will also be intro- duced in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh, however fines won’t be enforced until the middle of 2024. The Scottish LEZs will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, and be enforced by ANPR cameras linked to a national vehicle licensing database. A council spokesman said: “There has been extensive engagement with the taxi trade since Glasgow’s Low Emis- sion Zone was initially proposed to ensure the trade is fully informed and aware of the financial aid available to operators to become compliant.”
TYNESIDE COUNCILS CALL FOR URGENT GOVERNMENT ACTION ON CAZ SUPPORT FUND
Councillors are calling for urgent action from government to enable a vital CAZ support scheme for Tyneside taxi drivers to go ahead. Highways News reports that the CAZ is due to launch in July 2022 in response to a government legal order requiring steps to be taken to reduce pollution in certain areas. The zone will cover most of Newcastle city centre and routes over the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges. Charges to enter the zone will apply to taxis, vans, buses, coaches and HGVs that don’t meet CAZ emissions stan- dards. Private cars will not be affected. While the authorities were initially granted some funding from govern- ment to help mitigate the impact on businesses or vehicle owners, they have argued that this is not enough and have requested more.
MARCH 2022
As part of their proposals, submitted in October, councils in Newcastle and Gateshead have requested £23m to provide financial support to taxi and PHV drivers, companies and small busi- nesses which will need to upgrade their vehicles to avoid charges. Cllr Martin Gannon, Leader at Gateshead Council, said: “Despite having submitted our proposals back in October, we are still waiting for approval for our final business case from government and, more important- ly, for confirmation of the funding that will be provided to North East drivers. “Clearly we need this information as a matter of urgency. We have only five months until the CAZ is due to be introduced and drivers need time to apply for grants and to upgrade their vehicles.” Affected drivers will be offered grants
towards the cost of replacing or upgrading non-compliant vehicles but the exact amount drivers will be offered cannot be confirmed until the councils receive formal approval of the details of the government funding. The councils are looking at offering temporary exemptions from CAZ charges, in some circumstances, but await confirmation from government. Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader at Newcastle City Council, said: “This is a worrying time for people who are facing addi- tional costs, not to mention potential delays in obtaining a new vehicle due to the serious supply chain issues. “We want to be able to give clear information about the financial support that will be offered and we’re asking government to act now so that we can give people some certainty and reas- surance of the help available to them.”
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