
Glasgow’s taxi drivers are warning that the city centre has become a nightmare to navigate due to a massive wave of simultaneous roadworks.
As major redevelopments such as the Avenues project and George Square upgrades move forward, the city's fleet of hackney drivers say the sheer volume of construction is strangling trade and making it nearly impossible to get around.
Dougie MacPherson, Chair of Glasgow Taxis, claims the situation is so chaotic that it feels like a "crystal maze" for drivers trying to provide an essential service.
While drivers generally welcome investment in the city, they are questioning why so many projects are happening at once.
Mr. MacPherson noted that the lack of coordination is causing constant delays, forcing drivers to apologise to passengers and even pause their meters to keep costs down.
He remarked: "There is so much building work going on at the same time. It seems like a deliberate attempt to discourage people from using vehicles."
The disruption is particularly bad at George Square and Cowcaddens, where drivers say the broken links between major routes make cross-city travel "very difficult."
The impact goes beyond just the drivers; it affects everyone from parents with children to people trying to get home safely at night. Mr. MacPherson pointed out that narrowed roads are making it hard for buses to turn, often forcing them into oncoming traffic.
He warned: "Buses are having to encroach on the other side of the road. No-one wants buses on the wrong side of the road."
With three more years of construction expected, there is a growing fear for the city's future.
Mr. MacPherson concluded: "There's going to be three more years of pain before it is all finished. Will the city survive it?"

Fresh drainage surveys in Southampton City Centre, at a busy junction have sparked a backlash from traders and cabbies who say constant disruption is driving people away.

Kelvin Ndoro, 41, lured the victim into his car in Nottingham city centre in the early hours of the morning by offering her a lift home.

The initial phase will see 100 fully autonomous vehicles hit the roads, with plans to eventually expand the fleet to more than 1,000 taxis.

A Bradford private hire driver has criticised the city council after 100s of motorists fined for using bus lanes on Christmas and New Year’s Day - dates many believed were exempt from enforcement.

In October 2024, a private hire vehicle was detected speeding in Somerset. 

Nottingham firm Ideal Cars have asked PHTM to share their complaint they recently sent by email to the Access to Work team.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, 8 February, a couple of passengers approached a taxi waiting on the rank in Wigan town centre and asked for a price to be taken to a club in Bolton.

The Australian case, brought by Rideshare Drivers Network, mirrors arguments rejected by UK courts, where Uber mischaracterised its relationship with drivers in to deny their statutory rights.

The proposal is designed to modernise the licensing system, reduce duplication, and improve efficiency while maintaining all required safety, knowledge, and training standards.

At Bolton Council’s licensing committee on January 6, the council highlighted its strict stance on driver conduct, resulting in one suspension and one final warning for the operators involved.

The council is considering new rules that would require taxi & PH firms to carry out criminal record checks on all staff members and notify passengers if their driver is licensed in a different town.

The incident took place just before 1am on Wednesday, February 4, on Mardale Road, where a taxi parked on a private driveway was set on fire.

Darren McCartney, a former prison officer and hostage negotiator, appeared before the North Ayrshire Licensing Committee following objections from Police Scotland regarding his criminal record.

Drivers are proposing to scrap the percentage-based surcharge in favour of entirely new, higher fixed tariffs for larger vehicles carrying up to eight people.

The St Annes-on-Sea operator has partnered with Greenway Power Group (GPG) and the Patons Group to provide the technology, which is also being made available for public use.

Officers stormed properties on February 5, detaining a woman, 42, and a man, 46, on suspicion of fraud; a man, 22, on suspicion of handling stolen goods; nd a man, 18, on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking.

Abdulsalam Idlebi was found in breach of discrimination policies following the incident at a taxi rank on Irvine’s Bank Street last November.

Police have issued a fresh plea for help exactly one year after the body of 47-year-old Jesbir Singh Khela was discovered in a burnt-out car.

The cost of a standard one-year driver’s licence would jump from £150 to £165, while those opting for a three-year licence would see prices climb from £240 to £264.

Less than a third of taxi drivers in Greater Manchester are using new government-funded grants to switch to electric vehicles, according to research by the Clean Cities Campaign.
