Edinburgh Private Hire Drivers Rally Against ‘Mounting Crisis’ in Industry
On the morning of Monday, 30 March, dozens of private hire drivers assembled outside Edinburgh’s City Chambers in a coordinated protest. Organised by the group Edinburgh United Private Hire (EUPH), the demonstration highlighted what drivers describe as a worsening operational and financial crisis within the city’s private hire sector.
Core Grievances: Bus Lane Access and Road Conditions
A central point of contention is the longstanding policy that prohibits private hire vehicles from using the city’s bus lanes, a restriction not applied to the licensed black taxi (hackney carriage) fleet. Driver Stuart Livingston, speaking at the protest, framed this as an inequitable system. “We pay the same fees as black cabs, our licence fees are the same, our car licence fees are the same and the same rules apply and run by the same office but we have no access to bus lanes,” he stated, underscoring a perceived double standard in regulatory treatment.
This policy is currently under a separate, individual review examining whether both private hire vehicles and black cabs should be permitted to use bus gates and traffic filters. However, the council’s transport convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, indicated that the broader bus lane restrictions are likely to remain, noting his personal opposition to mixing general traffic with buses in those lanes.
Alongside the lane access issue, drivers voiced severe criticism of the city’s road maintenance. Livingston called the condition of streets “an absolute disgrace,” arguing that the council’s demand for high vehicle standards from drivers is not matched by its responsibility to maintain the infrastructure. “The council constantly asks us to adhere to high standards, but they’re not adhering to them themselves,” he said.
Market Oversaturation and Licensing Concerns
The protest also addressed what drivers identify as a critical problem of market oversupply. With over 3,000 private hire vehicles already licensed in Edinburgh, EUPH is calling for stricter limits on new licences. The group argues this saturation directly depresses earnings for existing drivers.
While the local authority agreed to conduct a survey on “overprovision” of private hire licences during the previous year, that work has not yet commenced. A proposal to implement a pause on issuing new licences until the survey’s completion was formally rejected by the council.
Driver Hardship and Council’s Fiscal Reality
EUPH’s Rolf White warned that the cumulative pressures are driving experienced professionals out of the industry. “The council just treats us like a side hustle,” White remarked, suggesting a lack of prioritisation. “A lot of guys I’ve spoken to, they’re just sick of it. A lot of them are just going to try and get new jobs.” This sentiment points to potential long-term consequences for the sector’s viability and driver retention.
In response, Cllr Jenkinson acknowledged the frustration regarding road repairs but pointed to significant national budgetary constraints as a limiting factor. “We’re not immune to the financial pressures that we’re seeing across the country, and we know that to bring all public roads up to scratch in Scotland would cost billions,” he explained. Despite the tension on specific policies, the convener maintained the council’s commitment to dialogue, stating it is “committed to working with public transport operators, private hire, and the wider taxi trade to make sure our network runs for the benefit of all.”
Image Credit: www.phtm.co.uk
