Scottish government leaves taxi drivers stranded without help
Scottish Labor leader Richard Leonard has accused Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon of ditching Scottish taxi drivers due to the delay in granting aid and the full amount of financial support available.
In Northern Ireland, taxi drivers can claim aid grants of 1,500 pounds, and in Wales the grants go up to 4,000 pounds for the taxi sector.
However, taxi drivers in Scotland will be able to apply for a one-time £ 500 grant which will open for applications in January and comes after a discretionary fund for local authorities was created in November worth 30 million.
In response to a letter from Leonard, Sturgeon claims that support from that fund has been delayed to avoid duplication of payments following the announcement of a specific £ 19 million fund for the industry, at the request of the boards.
Leonard reacted by saying the offer is “too small and too late” and said taxi drivers will face an “even bleaker Christmas” than before the announcement of the post-Christmas lockdown.
The Labor leader added that the delay in payments is an insult to the industry and asked the Scottish government to match the funds available in Wales.
“Nicola Sturgeon has briefly switched to Scottish taxi drivers, with an offer that is too small and too late. Furthermore, taxi drivers may be called back to transport Covid-infected patients to hospitals, given the discovery of this new strain of the virus.
Leonard further said that the £ 500 aid is simply not enough for taxi drivers facing these very real risks.
“The Prime Minister must also accelerate this support so that taxi drivers get it as close to Christmas as possible, given the losses they face. Failure to do the right thing here would be to defraud Scotland’s taxi drivers in the most difficult circumstances. ‘
In her response to Leonard’s letter, the Prime Minister said she understands the “particularly acute” pressures on the taxi industry.
“I appreciate that the challenges facing this sector as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions and regulations are particularly acute given the high fixed costs they have and that of their vehicles.
“With our vaccination program now in place and the promise that this brings to reopen our economy next year, we are committed to supporting the self-employed during the difficult months ahead, including taxi drivers.”
Likewise, Sturgeon indicated that the details of this financing package and how it will be delivered will be established in the coming days, but it is intended to help taxi drivers cover the fixed costs associated with the operation of their vehicles and other business expenses through from the provision of a one-time grant of £ 500.
“We cannot make up for all the losses that businesses and freelancers have and are experiencing as a result of Covid-19 due to our funding limitations, but this additional financial support will provide important and much-needed support for taxi drivers. and others during the challenging months ahead. “
Scottish government leaves taxi drivers stranded without help
