Taxi scheme offers lifeline to students

Glasgow Taxis Ltd joins Manchester, Cardiff, Liverpool and others across the UK in the Safe Taxi scheme, allowing students to charge their fare to their university ID if they find themselves without cash or card.

Stephen Flynn, vice-chair of Glasgow Taxis, said: “The scheme has been hugely successful in a number of other cities and we are glad to be able to make it a reality in Glasgow.

“Students are a big part of Glasgow life — this new scheme will give both students, and our drivers, peace of mind.”

The initiative works by giving students a code to quote when calling for a taxi — the driver will then collect the student’s matric card. The fare can be repayed to the Student Union when collecting the card the next day.

Gary Paterson, president of the University of Strathclyde Students’ Association, commented: “Community safety is a big issue in this city, especially on nights out and particularly for students, as we have sadly seen in recent months. This scheme won’t solve all the problems but I was keen to get it off the ground because it could be a real lifeline.”