EXCLUSIVE: Private hire drivers stopped from dropping passengers at safe spot outside SEC
The Scottish Event Campus tells Clyde News it is toughening up its rules around which taxis can stop at the rank.
Last updated 26th Nov 2021
Private hire drivers are exclusively telling us they are growing increasingly concerned for passenger safety as they claim they've been stopped from using the taxi rank outside the SEC.
Mohammad Sheikh was forced to let his customers out at the side of a busy road before a gig on Monday night because he was refused entry to the drop-off point.
"I don't know what the real issue is"
He told Clyde 1: "The security staff were shouting at me and pointed to the main road.
"There was nowhere safe to park and I felt they were very aggressive and using a bullying tactic."
"They could slip and I would get the blame for that"
Mohammad claims other private hire drivers have been having mixed experiences over the last few nights.
"Some of us are getting into the drop-off area at the Hydro and I don't know what the real issue is.
"It could be a management problem or bad training, but what I do know is that it is not right.
"I dropped people off at the Steps gig on Monday night and they had to walk up a grass hill which was wet and therefore they could slip and I would get the blame for that.
"If they had to leave from the driver's side of the vehicle then they would be walking straight out on to the main road."
"They need to find a safe spot for us all to park"
Azhar Iqbal from Govanhill is also a private hire driver and claims he had a similar experience earlier this week and feels insulted.
"I have dropped people off at this spot many times before without any problem.
"If they are going to separate the hackney and private hire drivers then they need to find a safe spot for us all to park."
An SEC spokesperson said: “Taxi Marshalls manage the official taxi rank at the SEC and there are parking restrictions on site which are clearly denoted."
"The recent change in UK security threat level requires enhanced traffic flow management, including the redirection of all unofficial vehicles.”