Edinburgh private hire drivers in protest over roads and bus lanes

Private hire drivers in Edinburgh have staged a protest over alleged "unfair treatment" by the city council.

Drivers claimed the condition of the capital's roads, restrictions on private hire vehicles using bus lanes and a proliferation of new drivers were making it "harder and harder" to operate.

About 40 drivers, under the banner of Edinburgh United Private Hire (EUPH), demonstrated outside the city chambers while a meeting of the local authority's licensing committee took place.

City of Edinburgh Council transport convener, councillor Stephen Jenkinson, said the authority was "committed" to working with all transport operators on the future of the road network.

Councillors rejected a bid to allow private hire drivers to use bus lanes in November last year.

Taxis are permitted to use bus lanes in Edinburgh, but private cars are prohibited.

An individual review is considering whether to allow private hire drivers and black cabs to use bus gates and traffic filters.

A similar protest was held outside the city chambers last year.

However, driver Stuart Livingston said their concerns still had not been addressed.

He said: "We pay the same fees as black cars, 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.

"The conditions of the road are an absolute disgrace.

"The council constantly asks us to adhere to high standards, but they're not adhering to them themselves."

Livingston added: "We've actually asked for standards to be increased. We want more enforcement out from the council, but the council have responsibility and their duty of care as well and they have to meet their end of the bargain as well."

More than 3,000 private hire vehicles and 1,074 taxis are licensed to operate in Edinburgh, according to council figures.

The local authority agreed to carry out a survey on "overprovision" of private hire licenses last year, but it has not yet started.

Proposals for a pause on new licenses being issued until that work was completed was rejected.

Rolf White, of EUPH, said some members were finding it "harder" to find work and were considering leaving the job due to the demands placed on drivers.

White said: "The council just treats us like a side hustle, we try and get things done and it just seems like they just don't really care enough.

"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."

White said the trade was at risk of being ruined.

City of Edinburgh Council's transport convener said he was not personally in favour of allowing any vehicles other than buses to use bus lanes.

Jenkinson said the council had "invested consistently" in the upkeep of Edinburgh's roads since the administration began.

He added: "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.

"I'm confident that we remain on the right track here in Edinburgh and my focus is on making sure our network is in the best possible shape.

"We're 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."