Posted on the 20th March 2025 in PHTM News

ABERDEEN COUNCIL BLASTED OVER LEZ TAXI CHAOS AS MAJOR EVENTS LOOM

Aberdeen City Council is facing fierce criticism after admitting it has no idea how many taxis will be banned from the city centre's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) come 1 June. With major summer events approaching, concerns are mounting over potential transport chaos and the devastating knock-on effect on businesses banking on bumper footfall during this period.

The council, which implemented the LEZ in june last year, granted taxis an exemption until June 2025. However, a Freedom of Information request by the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce revealed the council's lack of data on vehicles that will become non-compliant.

"To end the LEZ exemption for taxis on the eve of such major events is wildly irresponsible - not least because the council seems to have no idea how badly affected the city's taxis will be by the move," said Russell Borthwick, chief executive of the Chamber.

He warned of "the ridiculous and embarrassing situation of having visitors travelling into the city centre and having to be dropped off on the outskirts and wait for buses or walk. Or unable to get a taxi at all. What sort of first impression of the city is that?”

 The revelation has sparked alarm among business leaders, including Bob Keiller CBE, who is leading the Our Union Street project. "The number of taxis and private hire cars is already critically low with less than 300 private hire cars and fewer than 500 taxis," Keiller stated, highlighting that Aberdeen has "fewer than half the number of taxis for our population than either Edinburgh or Glasgow."

He attributed this to the council's "insistence that all drivers (taxi and private hire) pass an extensive Street Knowledge Test," which is not required in either Edinburgh or Glasgow. 

"Despite multiple requests, the licensing committee refuses to reconsider this," he stated.

"Extending the LEZ exemption might prevent an immediate fall-off in taxi numbers, but it won’t address the chronic shortage. Removing the Street Knowledge Test could create hundreds of jobs for people struggling to make ends meet."

The situation echoes challenges faced in Glasgow, where drivers struggled to meet LEZ requirements and there are fears that hundreds of Glasgow cabbies could be forced off the road and that older drivers would retire rather than spend money upgrading or buying a new, compliant vehicle.

An Uber spokesperson added fuel to the fire, stating: "We should be enabling more private hire cars in Aberdeen, rather than worrying about how many will be removed due to the LEZ."

They also pointed to the "street knowledge test, which has only a 15% pass rate," as a major barrier adding: "This is out of step with best practice guidance from the Scottish Government, which advises that knowledge tests should not create unnecessarily high barriers to entry."

In response, an Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: "Aberdeen City Council is currently looking at options around extending the LEZ exemption for taxis and will be discussing this with the Scottish Government."

They also noted that "taxi demand was the subject of a recent report to the Licensing Committee."


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