Struggling taxi drivers feel they hit yet another stumbling block on Friday 21 May after finding their key city centre rank blocked by heavy-duty vehicles.
A photo taken of the Market Street pick-up area, which many taxi drivers use to pick up customers from Waverley train station, showed the rank blocked with various work vehicles – including a tractor.
According to A local newspaper, while it is not clear why there were so many vehicles parked up at the spot, the Edinburgh cab union feels that Edinburgh City Council should have spoken with them if there were plans made for the taxi ranks to be blocked.
A Unite the Union rep said: “It’s crucially important because of the financial strain of the pandemic that taxi ranks are solely kept for taxis.
“If we had to park up on double yellow lines in the area, we would be moved along by the police, and there is nothing we can do, we just can’t argue with a 20-ton truck.
“Whatever work the council is doing, they didn’t consult us first at all and they totally kept us in the dark, making a decision that suited only them, without any consideration for the taxi drivers in the area.”
“They were in there for several hours at a time, even when the taxi industry is crippled on its knees.”
The angry Edinburgh local cab service near me posted the photo on Twitter with the caption: “This could mean very little to you but to taxi drivers this is totally unacceptable. Your lack of compassion and consultation with the taxi trade does you no favours at all. Please fix this mess now.”
Many frustrated locals and cab drivers retweeted the post and shared their anger.
Edinburgh City Council told A local newspaper that they were investigating the issue and intend to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
