Council chiefs are being pushed to provide further financial support for ailing taxi drivers in Aberdeen, with the trade badly hit by the pandemic.

More than 800 taxi and private hire operators benefitted from a £1,500 grant from the city council in January, to help them through Covid.

Now, finance bosses are being asked to make another £1,000 available to individuals who got the money earlier in the year, to help them following a lean 2021 so far.

The call has come from the local authority’s own co-leader Douglas Lumsden, who oversees its resources committee.

The Conservative is now standing for the Aberdeen Central seat at Holyrood, as well being named on the North East regional list.

Mr Lumsden said: “I appreciate that taxi and private hire drivers are still struggling with the downturn in business therefore I am calling on Aberdeen City Council to provide all who received the one-off £1,500 grant with a further £1,000 discretionary grant.

“Taxi drivers are telling me this £1,000 grant is essential for their survival, given the economic downturn in the city with Covid-19.

“In these difficult times it is only right and proper that the council uses its limited resources to help taxi and private hire drivers who have been impacted most by the locking down of our daytime and night-time economy.

“This discretionary £1,000 grant will mean that over 800 taxi and private hire drivers will have received £2,500 in grant aid to help them through this difficult trading period.”

No official from Aberdeen City Council was available to respond to Mr Lumsden’s comments.

Source: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/3033421/call-for-1000-grant-to-get-aberdeen-taxi-drivers-through-lockdown/

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