Taxi Driver Online :: View topic - Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from rank

A spokesman for Unite the union’s Glasgow Cab Section said the council “told the taxi trade we’d had long enough to prepare for the LEZ when they hadn’t done so themselves”.

“On top of that they left an abandoned car on a taxi rank outside Scotland’s busiest train stations for four days. Surely a security risk in itself.”

The union posted photos of the car on social media and said it “seemed to go viral” and “suddenly a sub-contractor turned up to remove it”.

A council spokeswoman said: “The vehicle has been removed and we apologise for the delay.

“The council has one LEZ compliant uplift vehicle as part of our fleet, which is entirely proportionate given the zone area covers one square mile.

“In the event our own vehicle is unavailable, an external contractor is authorised to uplift vehicles on our behalf.”

Author:	Sussex [ Wed Jun 05, 2024 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:	Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from rank
Car abandoned in Glasgow Central taxi rank for days with no LEZ approved truck to remove it https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glas ... i-29296949 Glasgow City Council has apologised after a car was abandoned on the taxi rank outside Central Station for four days. A contractor had to be hired to remove the vehicle, which had first been ticketed on Friday morning, as the council’s only Low Emission Zone compliant uplifter was unavailable. The car was eventually removed on Tuesday after the problem was flagged on social media. A spokesman for Unite the union’s Glasgow Cab Section said the council “told the taxi trade we’d had long enough to prepare for the LEZ when they hadn’t done so themselves. "On top of that they left an abandoned car on a taxi rank outside Scotland’s busiest train stations for four days. Surely a security risk in itself.” The union posted photos of the car on social media and said it “seemed to go viral” and “suddenly a sub-contractor turned up to remove it”. A council spokeswoman said: “The vehicle has been removed and we apologise for the delay. “The council has one LEZ compliant uplift vehicle as part of our fleet, which is entirely proportionate given the zone area covers one square mile. “In the event our own vehicle is unavailable, an external contractor is authorised to uplift vehicles on our behalf.” The union has previously said the city’s LEZ is forcing hundreds of taxis off the road as many vehicles aren’t compliant. The council has said the trade has had enough time to prepare and has been supported through the process.

Author:	edders23 [ Wed Jun 05, 2024 7:10 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
you couldn't make it up !

Author:	XH558 [ Thu Jun 06, 2024 1:19 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Saw this first hand - Gordon Street is chaotic at the best of times. Glasgow City Council shows so little interest in cab ranks, I'm surprised they actually got it removed.

Author:	StuartW [ Thu Jun 06, 2024 5:20 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Quote: Glasgow City Council shows so little interest in cab ranks, I'm surprised they actually got it removed. That's what I thought, and I see from the headlines that GCC have issued some sort of apology But, as usual, it's probably more about the PR and 'optics' than any concern about cars parked up on the rank. They were probably worried about the bad press they were getting about the LEZ angle

Author:	StuartW [ Fri Jun 07, 2024 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
This is from one of the reports - Unite seems to think they just took action when it 'went viral' on social media, which is consistent with what I'm always saying about the PR angle to everything - it's all about the 'optics' In the interests of fairness I've included what the council said below. But, of course, you have to read that with the council's 'comms'/PR remit in mind STV News wrote: A spokesman for Unite the union’s Glasgow Cab Section said the council “told the taxi trade we’d had long enough to prepare for the LEZ when they hadn’t done so themselves”. “On top of that they left an abandoned car on a taxi rank outside Scotland’s busiest train stations for four days. Surely a security risk in itself.” The union posted photos of the car on social media and said it “seemed to go viral” and “suddenly a sub-contractor turned up to remove it”. A council spokeswoman said: “The vehicle has been removed and we apologise for the delay. “The council has one LEZ compliant uplift vehicle as part of our fleet, which is entirely proportionate given the zone area covers one square mile. “In the event our own vehicle is unavailable, an external contractor is authorised to uplift vehicles on our behalf.”

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Author:	Sussex [ Fri Jun 07, 2024 6:45 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Quote: “The council has one LEZ compliant uplift vehicle as part of our fleet, which is entirely proportionate given the zone area covers one square mile. So the taxi trade is having to bankrupt itself for one poxy square mile.

Author:	XH558 [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 12:46 am ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Also this - Official documents reveal that of the 1,415 public sector vehicles operating in the SNP-led local authority, some 534 are still not LEZ compliant - nearly a year after enforcement of the zone began. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/243 ... compliant/

Author:	StuartW [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 4:02 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Our main night rank is just a free-for-all, but there's always something new comes along. Last night, not one but two Edinburgh HCs. And they were like twins - both black Merc Vitos, both with Freenow logo across the doors To be fair, they were only illegally on the rank for about half an hour to 1830 or so (as far as I know). But they could have parked there all night and absolutely no-one would bat an eyelid. Except us taxi drivers, obviously And, of course, police either entirely invisible, or just driving past while lapping the town centre, or acting as little more than bouncers for the club round the corner. Or, on the other hand, late-night policing is left to the club's doormen round the corner Neither of which, of course, is of the slightest use as regards the rank

Author:	StuartW [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 4:04 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
And later on, out at the station, as usual it was like a morgue, with plenty of space for parking, and when I was back car on the rank I noticed a PHC come along, and joined the queue right behind me. And ludicrously close as well, despite acres of space. I eventually had to get out when the (King's Cross) train came in to put a set of golf clubs in the boot, and I was nearly touching the bumper of his motor. Couldn't resist saying something to the driver, and pointed out where the PHCs and booked HCs normally sit (in fact there was at least one there at the time). I said the rank was 'just for taxis'. "I am a taxi", was his reply - "go and have a look at the back". (At his PHC plate, he meant.) I suspect he's a newbie (certainly didn't know the face, and although I think he's in our zone, probably not local to the St Andrews/Leuchars station area). And at least he'll have had his dementia awareness training, and how to administer naloxone Which detail is required to know if anyone is wondering why I needed to load luggage while at the back of the rank (car 8 or so) with the PHC still immediately behind me - it's unusual to need to load luggage that far back on the rank, but the train was a lot busier than usual for the 2140 to Aberdeen, even for one that had come directly from London Even on a normal Friday you could go all day and night and no car would need to need to load luggage that far back on the rank. But, aye, this newbie chap thought he could teach a grandfather how to suck eggs. (I know it should be grandmother, but I'm still identifying as male )

Author:	Sussex [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 7:25 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Quote: Last night, not one but two Edinburgh HCs. If a non Edinburgh hackney parked on one of their main ranks I'm quite sure they would be reported. I'm surprised these two weren't reported. Not to the locals who do nothing, but to Edinburgh licensing.

Author:	StuartW [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 8:33 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Who knows, maybe they have been reported to Edinburgh City Council Certainly not me, though - I tend to avoid officialdom wherever possible, whether it's local or elsewhere Although to be honest I did think about reporting them to Edinburgh if they'd been there all night, which is why I took the photos. But they'd gone by about 18.30 or so

Author:	edders23 [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 8:40 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Quote: Certainly not me, though - I tend to avoid officialdom wherever possible, whether it's local or elsewhere wot no anonymous email to edinburgh licensing with a couple of photos

Author:	StuartW [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
Quote: wot no anonymous email to edinburgh licensing with a couple of photos Never been one to stick the knife into other drivers, especially since the whole thing is a bit confusing, and if they hadn't been there at that time it would have been some other illegal parkers anyway Took first photo below about 7 this evening, showing one of the regular illegals, who certainly knows it's a rank. (It's someone who works at a restaurant near back end of rank.) Same car at its more normal spot last night. Same car the other night plus another one with I'm almost certain were customers at same restaurant. I was up near top of rank, and saw them getting out, all four looked at the signs, but then just wandered off. Could have asked them nicely to park elsehwere, but already buckling under the stress of confronting another couple of them earlier on. Signage is clear enough, in my opinion. (And don't get me started on the parking meter - it's an evening-only rank, although it's the main night rank, of only two in town.)

Author:	StuartW [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 9:42 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
But all that's why I'm currently out at the station, and that's two hours and counting without a fare. Next train just after 10, so even assuming I get a run, that'll be 2.5 hours' wait But I intend to kick up an almighty stink about the rank and other stuff eventually, assuming I don't die first But, of course, just as you don't like confronting people because of the workaday stress of it all, or at the extremes, you fear the Blackpool-style scenario where someone ended up dead over illegal rank parking, you also fear the backlash from the powers that be. They don't like it up them, as they say. In fact, the whole Covid thing is why I don't kick up a stink - regulars on here might remember, they closed the rank completely for a couple of years because the pavement wasn't wide enough and enforced it with a rod of iron. So if you kick up a stink and say the rank is a safety hazard, say, then they might just come along and close the whole thing down, and both the relocations they've proposed previously would make things a whole lot worse for the taxis

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Author:	StuartW [ Sat Jun 08, 2024 10:09 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Glasgow had no LEZ approved truck to remove car from ran
It gets worse - drunken idiots on the train, I'd guess. Who'd have expected that in Scotland? So that'll be three hours minimum now, and even assuming I get a £20 run into town, that'll just be my second run tonight, so willl be sufficiently pi$$ed off that I'll probably go home by midnight with £50 in fares if I'm lucky (unless a miracle happens...). Just can't be bothered waiting for the 3am dross since lockdown, even after a reasonable night, which isn't tonight (And chances are the train will end up even later, but I'm scared to look )