‘TRADE MUST MAINTAIN REPUTATION’: Unite Glasgow Cab Section backs step up in taxi overcharging enforcement against rogue cabbies
- Perry Richardson
- 9 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Unite the Union’s Glasgow Cab Section has backed Glasgow City Council’s decision to refuse a taxi driver a new licence following overcharging complaints, supporting tougher enforcement to protect the trade’s reputation and passenger confidence.
The move follows the licensing committee’s refusal to grant Arsalan Khan a renewed taxi driver licence after complaints that passengers were charged inflated fares, including journeys quoted at £25 without the meter being used. The decision was taken on a casting vote by the committee chair after councillors were split on whether to refuse the application outright or issue a one-year licence with a severe warning.
In a statement issued after the decision, Unite said the council was “clamping down on overcharging after pressure from Unite Glasgow Cab Section”, signalling a robust approach from the cabbies themselves to fare compliance across the city’s taxi ranks.
Gary Watson, Unite’s Glasgow Cab Section branch secretary, said the union had been clear that misuse of meters and overcharging damaged the standing of the wider trade. He said the taxi industry “must maintain its reputation as the safest and most trusted way to travel”.
Watson confirmed that Unite’s compliance and health and safety teams have been active on city centre ranks, engaging directly with drivers and the public to reinforce that meters must be used on all applicable journeys and that overcharging would carry serious consequences.
The union warned that enforcement action could extend beyond short-term suspensions. According to Unite, drivers found to be breaching fare rules risk “suspensions and possible loss of taxi licence”, aligning with the outcome of the recent committee decision.
Unite has encouraged passengers and drivers to report concerns directly to Glasgow City Council or to the union itself, framing reporting as part of a wider effort to protect legitimate drivers rather than punish the trade as a whole.
