The additional coronavirus restrictions on the license trade have landed another blow on the taxi trade.
Unite the union, Edinburgh Cab Branch, have told us that they emailed the Licensing Board at the end of September to request additional help due to the tightening restrictions.
Their trading situation is now even worse with the closure of the hospitality trade in Edinburgh tonight, a trade that they rely on to survive.
Branch Secretary, Jacqueline Dunn, said: “We have had no reply from Licensing. We are very much in crisis, and feel forgotten about by local and national government.
“The City of Edinburgh Council and The Scottish Government must do more to support the cab trade as additional restrictions on hospitality start.”
Unite are issuing a call to The Scottish Government and The City of Edinburgh Council to ensure that a package of support is made available to cab drivers as additional lockdown measures come into force across the central belt.
Cab drivers who have witnessed a fall of up to 90% in business, say they are concerned that the further restrictions announced will push many drivers and their families into severe hardship.
Jacqueline Dunn explained: “We have seen trade decimated across the summer and only recently business had improved to 40% of pre-Covid levels. Further hospitality restrictions along with the message for home working pushes the trade in further crisis.
“Drivers are concerned about feeding their families through winter and the help offered by The Scottish Government and The City of Edinburgh Council simply isn’t enough. We are a vital part of the Edinburgh transport network and help is needed now to ensure the trade survives.”
We are asking The City of Edinburgh Council for a comment.
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