Omar Mohammed appeared before councillors on Thursday, June 20 to request a private hire car licence for three years and questioned the local authority’s system for processing applications.
The cost of applying for a three-year private hire car licence is £483 – and must be paid whether the application is successful or not.
Mr Mohammed advised the committee that because his application had been accepted by Glasgow City Council he did not think the over provision limit – which doesn’t allow more than 3450 private hire car licences operating in Glasgow – had been met.
He said: “When I applied for my licence online it did not say there was an over-provision and I just assumed that the over-provision had not been met.
“You must know how many taxis are on the road and when the application went through I assumed the limit had not been met.
“I read that from June 1 there would be 350 taxis sidelined because they did not meet the LEZ requirements and that is another reason why I believe you should consider my application.”
Chairman councillor Sean Ferguson explained that the committee could not stop an application from being made.
Councillor Ferguson said: “We can’t stop people applying for consideration. There are people leaving the system – they come and go.”
Mr Mohammed continued: “You said [earlier in the meeting] there was going to be a review. What will happen to all the applicants that are denied – will they have to apply again?”
Councillor Ferguson responded: “In the event that you are not granted [a licence] you can apply again but you have to wait for 12 months before you can apply again and go through this process.”
During the meeting two other private hire car drivers had their application for a private hire car licence refused.
Korede Adebisi, who had been a driver since 2019 for GlasGO Cabs and Mohammad Azod Azad an Uber driver both had their applications denied.
During the meeting when asked why the committee should go against the council’s policy Mr Adebisi said he was a competent driver who prioritised the safety of his customers as well as the city.
He said: “I display myself in a professional manner and make sure all my passengers feel comforted in my care.
“I identify the needs of my passengers and deliver a quality service and I am able to solve unexpected problems.
“I am an exceptional private hire car driver. I know the landmarks of the city and I respect my passengers.”
Mohammad Azod Azad, who had previously worked as a debt collector before becoming an Uber driver, said he was very satisfied with his work.
He added: “I want my own plate because I have a new car. If you give me a chance I can be a great driver.
“I have been working for Uber for one year and before that I was a debt collector for three and a half years.
“I am very satisfied as a driver and I would like to be one not just right now but for a long time.”
