Glasgow Taxis enter 11th-hour plea to save 350 cabs from LEZ rules
Drivers want to opportunity to 'offset' their carbon emissions until they can become fully LEZ compliant
There is a last-ditch effort by cab drivers in Glasgow to secure more time to meet Low Emission Zone (LEZ) rules.
Taxi drivers want the opportunity to 'offset' their carbon emissions until they are able to afford newer cars.
Glasgow Taxis has written to Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken as well as all councillors serving the city with a plea aiming to avoid the loss of an estimated 350 taxis at the start of June.
Carbon offsetting
The proposal is for any remaining taxi operators not yet compliant with the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) to be allowed to “offset emissions” until they become fully compliant, which the majority are expected to achieve within the year.
A carbon offset broadly refers to a reduction in emissions – or an increase in carbon storage, for example, through land restoration or the planting of trees – that is used to compensate for emissions that occur elsewhere.
Referring to the key LEZ deadline of June 1, 2024, the emailed letter states: “As you are aware, Glasgow is set lose around 350 public hire operators on 1 June 2024 with the application of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) – each one being a small Glasgow business.
“Given the huge steps taken by the taxi trade in Glasgow in recent years, we believe it would be folly for the City Council to allow these businesses and the many livelihoods they support to simply disappear overnight in the context of actual improvement to air quality in the City Centre.”
'Time is critical'
The correspondence then closes with Glasgow Taxis’ “Ask”, as follows: “The vast majority of the taxi operators in Glasgow support of the Council’s commitment to improving air quality. Most operators now have an identified pathway to full LEZ compliance but, for many, it will simply not be achievable over the next 2 week(s).
“As stated, the emissions of all such vehicles over the next 12 months is the equivalent to two transatlantic flights!
“Without any attempt to belittling the wider environmental considerations, and Glasgow’s role in improving its own air quality, surely the City Council agrees with our contention that this cannot be allowed as the justification for the loss of 350 viable small Glasgow businesses.
“Glasgow Taxis asks that Glasgow City Council uses the powers available to allow those taxis operators to continue to trade beyond 1 June 2024, and moreover to continue to serve the needs to the City, as the vehicles and solutions become available over the coming year – and, where deemed necessary, to allow such small businesses to offset their emissions as per many other larger UK and international companies operating in Glasgow.”
Issued by Glasgow Taxis chairman Dougie McPherson, it closes: “I appreciate this request is time critical and therefore would welcome urgent dialogue with you.
“I look forward to your response.”
'Air pollution cannot be offset'
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: "“Glasgow’s city centre Low Emission Zone has been introduced to tackle unacceptably high levels of the harmful pollutant nitrogen dioxide.
“Unlike carbon emissions, this air pollutant, which particularly affects the most vulnerable in society such as the very young and the elderly, cannot be offset.
“Glasgow’s LEZ has been well publicised and had an extensive lead-in time. And at every stage since the intention to introduce a scheme was agreed, we have supported the taxi sector move toward compliance.
"We have consistently encouraged eligible operators to take advantage of Scottish Government funding toward cleaner, new vehicles, or to retrofit existing vehicles - with £2.4m paid in retrofit grants since 2019 for taxis in our region. We also amended licensing conditions to expand the options available to operators of taxis which could not be retrofitted due to vehicle age.
“Eligible operators were also granted an exemption from the scheme’s first year of operation, and we will show further flexibilities beyond this point, but only for operators who can show they are actively taking steps to meet the cleaner LEZ standards.
“To equitably balance the health and environmental benefits of Glasgow’s LEZ, whilst continuing to support taxi operators, where an exemption is extended beyond the end of May, it will be for the shortest period possible.”