list of ‘astounding’ and ‘unjust’ demands put forward by the Lower Clyde Taxi Owners Association was knocked back by councillors on the general purposes board.

The wishlist had included a request to allow the more expensive night tariff to be brought in an hour earlier, at 10pm. Instead, councillors voted to move it back to midnight.

Councillor Robert Moran blasted the taxi association’s wishlist, saying: “As far as the 10 per cent goes, I feel it is outrageous they are even submitting it. It is astounding.”

SNP councillor Jim McLeod said: “An increase of 10 per cent is unjust. Changing the time from 11pm to 10pm is nonsense. Many people don’t go out until 9 or 10pm now because of shift patterns and working practices.”

The board chose to offer the drivers a rise of 2.5 per cent in line with inflation and rejected other proposals, including one that would have allowed drivers to set their own exchange rate with tourists.

Clyde Cabs, a Port Glasgow company, had written to the board opposing any rise in fares. Their boss said he was ‘over the moon’ the rise had been kept to a minimum.

Boss John Simpson said after the meeting: “We didn’t know about the proposal to change the curfew, but it doesn’t affect us because we don’t use it. Raising the prices is forcing people back onto buses.”

Councillors also expressed an interest in bringing forward the date when all Inverclyde taxi vehicles must be wheelchair-accessible.

The law says this must happen by 2012. Councillors said they would further discuss a plan to bring the date forward to 2010.

http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/article.php?sec=news&id=9293