Posted on the 31st March 2026 in PHTM News

EDINBURGH PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS TAKE TO THE STREETS IN ROW OVER UNFAIR TREATMENT

Dozens of private hire drivers gathered outside Edinburgh's City Chambers on Monday 30 March, to protest what they describe as a mounting crisis in their industry.

The demonstrators, organised under Edinburgh United Private Hire (EUPH), claim that crumbling road surfaces and strict rules banning them from bus lanes are making it nearly impossible to earn a living.

Unlike the city’s black cabs, private hire cars are currently barred from using bus lanes, a policy the council refused to change last November.

Driver Stuart Livingston argued that this creates an unfair double standard. "We pay the same fees as black cabs, our licence fees are the same, our car licence fees are the same and the same rules apply and run by the same office but we have no access to bus lanes," he said.

An individual review is considering whether to allow private hire drivers and black cabs to use bus gates and traffic filters.

Livingston further slammed the state of the city's streets, stating: "The conditions of the road are an absolute disgrace. The council constantly asks us to adhere to high standards, but they're not adhering to them themselves."

The group is also calling for stricter limits on the number of new licences issued. With over 3,000 private hire vehicles already on the road, drivers say the market is oversaturated.

The local authority agreed to carry out a survey on "overprovision" of private hire licences last year, but it has not yet started. Proposals for a pause on new licences being issued until that work was completed was rejected.

Rolf White of EUPH warned that many are now considering quitting the profession entirely. "The council just treats us like a side hustle, we try and get things done and it just seems like they just don't really care enough," White said, adding that: "A lot of guys I've spoken to, they're just sick of it. A lot of them are just going to try and get new jobs."

In response, the council’s transport convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, stood firm on the bus lane restrictions, noting that he does not personally support allowing non-bus vehicles into those lanes.

While acknowledging the frustration over road repairs, he cited national financial pressures as a major hurdle. 

"We're not immune to the financial pressures that we're seeing across the country, and we know that to bring all public roads up to scratch in Scotland would cost billions," Jenkinson said.

Despite the tension, he insisted the council is "committed to working with public transport operators, private hire, and the wider taxi trade to make sure our network runs for the benefit of all."


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