Posted on the 16th September 2026 in PHTM News
FIGHTING TO KEEP GLASGOW TAXI RANKS … BEFORE ANOTHER ONE IS LOST
Veteran cabbie Rob Finlayson told PHTM: "Glasgow City Council is proposing to revoke the North Hanover Street taxi stance beside Queen Street Station. I’ve formally objected.
"I’m doing so as both a Glasgow taxi driver and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (FCILT). This isn’t simply a taxi trade issue. It’s a question about passenger access, transport capacity and how we want our city centre to work.
"Yes, there are other taxi ranks nearby. But that’s not the point. Glasgow already has problems with over-ranking. If you remove lawful rank spaces, the taxis don’t disappear. They move to another rank. If that’s full, they move again or circulate until space becomes available.
"That potentially means more empty vehicle mileage, more congestion and more pressure on remaining ranks. So if we’re redesigning Glasgow to make transport more sustainable, have we assessed whether removing lawful taxi waiting space could actually create additional vehicle movements?
"Then there’s accessibility. Queen Street serves wheelchair users, people with restricted mobility, older passengers, families and people carrying luggage. A taxi rank being “a few minutes away” isn’t necessarily the same as accessible kerbside transport being available where somebody needs it.
"There’s also a bigger question. One rank disappears. Another loses spaces. Another gets relocated. At what point do we ask: How much taxi rank capacity has Glasgow actually lost, and what does that mean for the service the city expects its taxi fleet to provide?
"I’m not arguing against cycle lanes or active travel. Glasgow should be capable of accommodating pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists, buses, trains and taxis.
"If North Hanover Street genuinely cannot remain because of the new street layout: Relocate the capacity. Don’t simply delete it. I’ve asked GCC for evidence on passenger and accessibility impact, over-ranking, neighbouring rank capacity, equality impact, potential additional empty taxi mileage, alternative locations and the cumulative reduction in Glasgow’s taxi rank capacity.
"These are measurable questions. They deserve measurable answers. If you’re a Glasgow resident, business, hospitality operator, accessibility advocate, transport professional or taxi user, I’d like to hear your view. If you think this deserves wider scrutiny, please share it.
"This isn’t about saving a parking space. It’s about what kind of transport service Glasgow wants to have.
"Please I would ask you to tag any Glaswegians, cabbies, businesses and visitors to Glasgow to raise more awareness around the issue."
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