Posted on the 13th August 2026 in PHTM News

GLASGOW TAXI DRIVERS WARN CITY RANK CUTS WILL HARM ELDERLY AND DISABLED

Glasgow taxi drivers have warned that slashing the capacity of a key city centre rank will create longer queues and harm elderly and disabled passengers who rely on a door-to-door service.

The licensing committee has approved plans to reduce the taxi rank on Stockwell Street from four spaces down to just two as part of the wider Avenues street upgrade programme.

The controversial reduction is necessary because a bus stop must be relocated to accommodate a new two-way segregated cycle lane and widened footways.

To manage the smaller capacity, the council plans to install a camera focused on the two-vehicle rank alongside a monitor at a nearby six-vehicle rank on Osborne Street so drivers can check for available spaces.

Unite the union led seven objections against the move, criticising both the lack of proper consultation and the impact on vulnerable commuters.

Michael Meehan, representing Unite, said: "We don’t believe there is adequate equality assessment at that rank, reducing it two means there is going to be more queues for passengers, especially the old, frail and the disabled passengers."

Mr Meehan highlighted that taxis provide a vital 24-hour service long after normal bus routes finish around 11pm, arguing that the city needs more ranks rather than fewer to cope with peak demand.

Fellow union representative Henry McKean also condemned the decision as unfair and detrimental to passengers, while another objector noted that the long-established rank is a vital and well-known fixture.

Council officials defended the scheme, stating that the project has been in development for six to seven years with extensive public consultation, including a published equality impact assessment from 2024 to 2025 that included Unite on its contact lists.

Officials added that altering the design now would cause costly construction delays, meaning work on Stockwell Street - previously postponed due to the Union Street fire - will go ahead as planned.

 

 

 


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