Devastated Edinburgh cab driver working full-time time job to pay for idle taxihttps://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-taxi-driver-sad-money-19963839An Edinburgh taxi driver has been forced to take on a full-time job as a painter and decorator during the pandemic, so he can pay for the taxi sitting unused on his driveway.
Devastated Scott Blair, who has worked as a cab driver in Edinburgh for 13 years, could have never predicted the devastating effect of the pandemic when he took on a five-year contract to finance a new black cab.
he 45-year-old had previously made a good living working in his taxi during the day, and renting it out to other drivers at night, but now he has had to take on a full-time job just to keep up with the £849 a month payments for his taxi that sits idle.
His situation is not unique, Edinburgh Live also spoke to another taxi driver who made just £4 an hour while recently working a seven-hour shift in the capital.
cott told Edinburgh Live: "Since the pandemic hit I've driven my taxi twice this year, but it’s that bad I had to find alternative employment just to fund my taxi.
"I have to pay £849 a month finance, and I have a five-year finance agreement, but you would be lucky if you get three to four jobs on a seven-hour shift.
"There are no restaurants, bars, concerts and schools are just trickling back, but Edinburgh is a ghost town."
Mr Blair is also the chairman of the Edinburgh Cab Branch Union, and says he has been pressuring the Scottish Government to include cab drivers in the Strategic Business Framework Fund that gives grants to businesses that are required to close by law as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.
The Scottish Government recently announced a Taxi and Private Hire Driver Fund to support taxi drivers but Mr Blair doesn't believe it goes far enough.
He said: "It is really appreciated but when then you break it down among everyone it is only a one-off payment of just £1,500- it's just not enough."
"I'm absolutely devastated that my business has more or less collapsed for the past year, we are not being recognised as business owners by the government and because we don’t have a rentable premise we are not allowed access to the Strategic Business Framework Fund"
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