Glasgow CC to ensure night-time workers have free transport home

[Todd_is_God]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-63911298

This seems good in theory, but quite difficult in practice. Are there enough taxis etc available to get everyone home? Anyone trying to get home from Glasgow recently will know the answer to that question.

It also appears only to apply to new businesses so won't be of any help those already employed.

I'm also not entirely sure it is fair to demand employers pay for their employees travel to and from work.

[Detournement]

1 hour ago, Todd_is_God said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-63911298

This seems good in theory, but quite difficult in practice. Are there enough taxis etc available to get everyone home? Anyone trying to get home from Glasgow recently will know the answer to that question.

It also appears only to apply to new businesses so won't be of any help those already employed.

I'm also not entirely sure it is fair to demand employers pay for their employees travel to and from work.

My guess they will need a receipt of some sort to claim it back which as you say probably means a taxi or Uber which are difficult to get.

Given the way the industry works anyone who figures out how to hit their boss with a significant amount of transport expenses won't last long. 

[Busta Nut]

2 hours ago, Todd_is_God said:

 

I'm also not entirely sure it is fair to demand employers pay for their employees travel to and from work.

I reckon this could be used to push through me not goin into the office twice a week...

[Todd_is_God]

54 minutes ago, Detournement said:

My guess they will need a receipt of some sort to claim it back which as you say probably means a taxi or Uber which are difficult to get.

Given the way the industry works anyone who figures out how to hit their boss with a significant amount of transport expenses won't last long. 

Or hired in the first place. It's not illegal or discriminatory to ask an employee if they drive.

It should also be taxable as a Benefit in Kind IMO, but even that doesn't help hospitality employers who could be faced with hundreds of pounds extra per day to allow their employees to get picked up and dropped off at their door.

It's a well meaning scheme for sure, but beyond being a headline grabber it doesn't seem overly well thought out.

[vikingTON]

In what bizarre, alternate universe is this proposal a more logical and cost-effective solution than, err, Glasgow City Council working with SPT (de facto the Glasgow public transport organisation) to just provide an effective 24/7 public transport service to everyone regardless of their job category? They can't even get their Subway to run outside 10-6 hours on a Sunday yet. 

Interesting to note the 'Green' loser councillor suddenly bat for the superiority of private car transport so long as there's some worthwhile virtue-signalling to be achieved. What an utter moron. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by vikingTON

[Todd_is_God]

1 hour ago, virginton said:

In what bizarre, alternate universe is this proposal a more logical and cost-effective solution than, err, Glasgow City Council working with SPT (de facto the Glasgow public transport organisation) to just provide an effective 24/7 public transport service to everyone regardless of their job category?

Because it puts the burden of cost onto employers, whilst allowing the council to slap each other on the back for doing something to tackle a problem that probably isn't that big.

If you choose to seek employment in a place you knowingly cannot get home from (either by driving or taking public transport) then, unless the employer chooses to offer transport as part of your benefits package, then I really don't see why booking and paying for a taxi to get home is anyone's problem other than yours.

"I can't afford to spend two hours wages on a taxi home" is the type of nonsense argument often given by those who seem to believe those who can drive incur zero cost in travelling to and from work because running a car is free.

Edited December 10, 2022 by Todd_is_God

[BFTD]

Isn't it funny how often Libertarians end up holding the same positions as Tories?

Edit: sorry, wrong thread, this is clearly unrelated.

Edited December 10, 2022 by BFTD

[ICTChris]

I didn’t realise Edinburgh had a similar scheme, not sure what it entails.

Taxis are one of the industries that has not and probably never will recover from Covid and the lockdowns. Just last night my mother in law pre booked a taxi to get back to her partners flat, she got several texts saying they were running late with a link to cancel, eventually I just drove her there. Same thing has happened a couple of times before. It’s pretty inconvenient but could be serious as her partner can’t be left alone for long due to dementia.

 

[Ross.]

Well intentioned but I struggle to see how it would work. Worked in a few pubs across Glasgow and the West End, can think of a couple of times where folk ended up in a spot of bother after a shift, but no more or less prevalent than anyone else being caught up in bother when out in Glasgow in general. Smaller pubs will probably only hire people who have their own transport, chains will probably try and ignore it or put in some half arsed protocol that costs them as little as they can get away with.

[Todd_is_God]

29 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I didn’t realise Edinburgh had a similar scheme, not sure what it entails.

Taxis are one of the industries that has not and probably never will recover from Covid and the lockdowns. Just last night my mother in law pre booked a taxi to get back to her partners flat, she got several texts saying they were running late with a link to cancel, eventually I just drove her there. Same thing has happened a couple of times before. It’s pretty inconvenient but could be serious as her partner can’t be left alone for long due to dementia.

It genuinely puts me off going into Glasgow now for a night out tbh. I can get a train back up until midnight (and tbf a late night bus), but all public transport only gets me about 3½ miles from home. Taxi ranks in both Bellshill or Motherwell are always empty now, and it can be about an hour wait on one if I try calling one.

None of the local taxis seem to be overly interested in picking up in town and an Uber is often quoted as £45 - £50 with the surge charges applied.

It's such a consistent pain in the arse that I rarely bother. It's completely broken and I cannot see how it could cope with this on top.

Its quite an admission too that GCC are seemingly making that their public transport network is neither fit for purpose in a modern society, or safe.

[BFTD]

38 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I didn’t realise Edinburgh had a similar scheme, not sure what it entails.

Taxis are one of the industries that has not and probably never will recover from Covid and the lockdowns. Just last night my mother in law pre booked a taxi to get back to her partners flat, she got several texts saying they were running late with a link to cancel, eventually I just drove her there. Same thing has happened a couple of times before. It’s pretty inconvenient but could be serious as her partner can’t be left alone for long due to dementia.

I'd have thought taxis would have received a boost due to the unreliability of public transport lately.

[Todd_is_God]

7 minutes ago, BFTD said:

I'd have thought taxis would have received a boost due to the unreliability of public transport lately.

The problem isn't lack of demand, though. It's lack of taxis.

The drivers are away delivering McDonald's etc and making more money.

[ICTChris]

A couple of days ago I saw this graph showing the income breakdown of people who use taxis to get to work. 

 

This data is from England, I think, so might not map exactly but I wonder if this tracks for Scotland - people with lower income are more likely to get a taxi to work.  The wards up near 10% are in Middlesborough.

I wonder if the difficulty in getting taxis is impacting people being able to get to work as well as people getting home from work or travelling for social reasons.

[HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows]

God forbid should a taxi driver actually drive someone somewhere.  It must eat into their time fencing stolen goods and punting ching.

[Busta Nut]

On 10/12/2022 at 17:49, Todd_is_God said:

It genuinely puts me off going into Glasgow now for a night out tbh. I can get a train back up until midnight (and tbf a late night bus), but all public transport only gets me about 3½ miles from home. Taxi ranks in both Bellshill or Motherwell are always empty now, and it can be about an hour wait on one if I try calling one.

None of the local taxis seem to be overly interested in picking up in town and an Uber is often quoted as £45 - £50 with the surge charges applied.

It's such a consistent pain in the arse that I rarely bother. It's completely broken and I cannot see how it could cope with this on top.

Its quite an admission too that GCC are seemingly making that their public transport network is neither fit for purpose in a modern society, or safe.

I am in a similar position. Don't get me wrong I am pushing 40 so I am happy just to go anywhere and have a laugh with ma pals, we're not on the pull or desperate to go clubbing so if a night on the town is suggested I often try to pull it into a day out so ye can get the train home.

Got a gig on wednesday and train strike has left us fucked. Got a mate willing to help thankfully.

[Detournement]

8 hours ago, HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows said:

God forbid should a taxi driver actually drive someone somewhere.  It must eat into their time fencing stolen goods and punting ching.

As Todd said they have all switched to doing deliveries of parcels and takeaways. The costs are lower and it's far less hassle than having to deal with passengers especially at night.