PROTEST PLIGHT
GLASGOW POTHOLE PROTESTORS BLOCK GEORGE SQUARE AS TAXIS SURROUND CITY CHAMBERS
Pothole protestors blocked George Square in Glasgow in a noisy demonstration which saw taxis surround the city chambers in a show of solidarity. Potholes Make Glasgow took to the city centre on Saturday 24 February, to protest the state of the city’s roads with many expressing their anger at the number of potholes. Dozens of members of the online group, which has gathered more than 13,000 members, took to the city centre armed with banners and placards to demand more is done to fix Glasgow’s roads. Alison, who helps run Potholes make Glasgow, said: “We are here today to
protest about the
disgraceful state of Glasgow’s roads. The infrastructure of the city is falling to pieces and is so dangerous. “Is it going to take a loss of life for these potholes to be fixed? I’m scared to drive at night because the roads are atrocious. We are here to ask that Glasgow City Council listens to us and fixes the potholes. People from all over the city are very concerned and want action taken before someone is hurt.” Protestors gathered on the road as they were joined by around 40 private hire and taxi drivers, from the Scottish Private Hire Association (SPHA) and Saltire Taxis, as they blasted their horns while surrounding the square and city chambers. John Wallace, the vice-chair of the SPHA, said: “The cost of damage to drivers is huge and it’s not being compensated back. It’s not just the damage to the cars because when one of our drivers is off the road
PHTM MARCH 2024
they aren’t earning. “Nearly every driver who is currently working in Glasgow has said that their cars have been damaged after hitting a pothole. “We have seen everything from the tyre being burst to whole suspension systems breaking. It’s costing drivers thousands and also deterring taxis from going to certain areas or taking routes to pick up passengers. “Our association has complained constantly to the council but nothing seems to get done. It feels to us that the council are not willing to do what they are paid to, which is fix the roads.” Eddie Grice, 39, spoke to the BBC from his PHV, showing parts of his car that have fallen off as recently as last week because of potholes. Mr Grice, who is also the general secretary of the Scottish Private Hire Association, said the city’s roads are a “nightmare”. He said: “It’s been going on that long now, the damage being caused to our cars is happening on previously reported potholes. So they [the council] are failing to live up to their statutory duties now. “It cost a fortune, I’ve been through five
tyres since the start of December. I’ve lost a drop link. I’ve
got bits of my car sitting in here.” Another driver said: “We’re all driving about trying to do our jobs, our cars are getting damaged and Glasgow City Council don’t think they have to respond to the people of Glasgow.” Councils across Scotland are in the process of setting their budgets for the next financial year against the backdrop of a surprise council tax freeze promised by the SNP. Argyll and Bute Council voted against the freeze, setting a 10% increase on council tax, but Glasgow is among the local authorities which will deliver it. Glasgow’s budget will see £6m spent on improvements to roads, footpaths, cycleways when last year the road budget was £12m. Unions have protested against planned budget cuts to other services in the city, saying they are already “on their knees”. Jamie Canavan, who is the founder of Potholes Make Glasgow, said he wants to see the council spend more on road maintenance. “Everybody is making noise,” he said. “We’ve had accidents - accidents with kids in cars. “Prices are going up nowadays. It’s costing more to repair a car than even own a car.” A spokesman for the city council said: “We always seek to undertake first-time permanent repairs wherever possible and we currently have four crews dedicated to repairing potholes on a daily basis. He urged members of the public to report any road faults to the council via the MyGlasgow app or social media channels.
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