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Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow council asked to reconsider stance on female only taxi firm
A previous attempt to set up such an operation was rejected by the council on the grounds it discriminated against men. Six years ago, a firm called Rosy and Pinks attempted to start up a female-only service, staffed by women drivers and only taking female passengers and their children. READ NEXT:I tried out a new Glasgow cycle lane but one thing is confusing It was in response to some women not feeling safe in a taxi driven and controlled by a man they did not know. The woman behind the plan, Margo Welsh, felt the option of a female driver would be a welcome addition to transport in the city. It was knocked back by councillors at the time and comments included that such a plan would discriminate against men Robert Connolly and Alex Wilson were among those who said it was not suitable for the city when it was proposed in 2019. At that time, Licensing convener Alex Wilson, said: 'If it was the other way round, we would be looking at discrimination against females.' 'The whole not picking up male passengers is a concern to me. I don't think we should discriminate at all. Conservative Councillor, at the time, Robert Connelly, added: 'It is essentially sexism towards males. It doesn't sit right with me.' But since then, changes have been made to the Equality Act that campaigners believe give the go-ahead for such a service to exist. READ NEXT: Glasgow City Council blocks plans to launch female-only taxi service Now, Govan Law Centre has asked the council to reconsider its position on allowing a women-only firm to be licensed. It has stated the Act does not prohibit sex discrimination where a service provider offers separate services for men and women in specific circumstances. One of the circumstances is 'providing the service separately to women and men is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim'. Govan Law Centre said a change to the Equality Act includes a new section on justification of separate and single- sex services. (Image: Newsquest) Lorna Walker, senior solicitor with Govan Law Centre, said: ' We have already highlighted concerns about women travelling alone, late at night and without any control over their physical space in the vehicle, 'where there will be limited ability for women to leave or to chose an alternative service' and there are increased incidences of 'male violence against women' and being in an enclosed space, could put women at a particular disadvantage. 'And given the statistical increase in domestic abuse and rape cases across Glasgow, we are asking again if Glasgow City Council has now changed its policy in light of UK Supreme Court case of For Women Scotland?' A spokesperson for the council, said: 'We have responded to Govan Law Centre on this matter, seeking clarification on a number of points that they raised. We are awaiting further information from them on this matter. 'Taxi and private hire car licensing is regulated through the Civic Government (Scotland) Act, which has created a system of checks and scrutiny for all drivers, vehicles and operators that is focused on ensuring public safety. 'All applications for licences are determined on the merits of an individual case and within the context of the legislation and policies that regulate this area of activity.'
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
Edinburgh's garden waste charge could be illegal and force council to pay millions back to residents, says Tory councillor
Edinburgh's £40-a-year garden waste charge could be illegal, according to the city's Tory group leader - and if he's right, the council could be forced to pay back millions of pounds to residents. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Iain Whyte claims the charge - which the Tories have branded "the garden tax" - flies in the face of legislation specific to Edinburgh which says that garden waste should be treated as household waste. And Cllr Whyte points to another law which says there can be no charge for household waste. The garden waste charge was introduced in October 2018 amid lots of controversy. It was initially set at £25 a year, then increased to £35 in 2021 and this year it has gone up again to £40. It is estimated to bring in up to £1.4 million a year to the council. The charge for garden waste collections was introduced in 2018. Picture: Jane Barlow | TSPL Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad At last week's transport and environment committee, convener Stephen Jenkinson accepted a call by Cllr Whyte for officials to look into whether the charging regime for garden waste collection complies with the law and report back on any risk for the council in continuing to charge for the service, and any actions required to make it legally compliant. The two laws cited by Cllr Whyte are the 1982 Civic Government (Scotland) Act, which says councils can charge for trade waste "but may not include provision for such payment for the collection or disposal of household waste", and the City of Edinburgh District Council Order Confirmation Act 1991, legislation which brings together a wide variety of legal requirements affecting the city in one place. It says: "In its application to the council, the definition of 'household waste' contained in subsection (5) of section 124 of the Act of 1982 shall be deemed to include garden refuse." Tory group leader Iain Whyte claims the charge for emptying brown bins could be illegal | Johnston Press License Cllr Whyte told the Evening News: 'I've tried to raise this before, but I've never had an answer. The Confirmation Act states that the council must treat garden waste as household waste. And the Civic Government Scotland Act say that you cannot charge for the collection of household waste. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'As I understand it, both piece of legislation are still in force. So it could well be that the council had no power to implement the garden tax for collecting brown bin waste. 'Unless they can point to a different piece of legislation that annuls this, one of the first questions is: Do we have to pay the money back to the residents who've paid for it?' Cllr Jenkinson said he had agreed to Cllr Whyte's request in order to clarify the situation. He said: 'Officers themselves are comfortable that the position is legal. However, I don't think it does any harm to get that legal position absolutely clarified. 'Cllr Whyte's understanding of one piece of legislation is that it is all treated the same. However, I believe there is a counter-argument that there is another piece of legislation which says the opposite. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're not the only local authority in Scotland or the UK to charge for picking up garden waste. I would be surprised if there is a question mark over its legality because it has been in place for a number of years now, but I'm no lawyer so it seemed the right thing to do to ask the question and get the clarity he's looking for.'
