Tuesday August 18th 2026
A resident tried to have the taxi rank on Queen Margaret Drive removed
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Drew Sandelands
A prominent taxi rank in Glasgow’s west end will remain in use after a bid to remove it faced huge backlash from drivers.
Glasgow City Council was asked to revoke the rank on Queen Margaret Drive — between Ruskin Lane and Great Western Road — by a resident who claimed it is “overcrowded and not fit for purpose”.
The complaint added the rank is “really dangerous”, with taxis double parking and carrying out U-turns across four lanes of traffic.
But the request sparked a strong response from the city’s taxi trade, with more than 30 objections to the application. Drivers said the rank is vital and any road traffic offences should be dealt with by Police Scotland.
Councillors were told the rank, which operates 24/7, has been in use for over 70 years.
A representative for the applicant told Glasgow’s licensing committee that taxis double park on Queen Margaret Drive, which is “not only illegal but can be hazardous for other road users, pedestrians and residents”.
“Today’s taxis are so long that the rank cannot accommodate four taxis in the space provided,” she added.
The rank is in a “purely residential” area, with flats at street and basement level, and there are “often anti-social behaviour issues… given people are drawn there in the early hours”, the committee heard.
“In summary it is only a matter of time before a serious accident happens due to the position of the rank.”
The neighbour suggested a rank between Oran Mor and Kitty O’Shea’s bar, on Great Western Road, would be better, although the request was not for relocation.
Dougie McPherson, of Glasgow Taxis, told councillors the rank is in “an area of high footfall” at a “major intersection” near to popular venues and attractions.
“Other than the city’s rail stations and bus station, I cannot think of a single location that requires or justifies a rank more than Queen Margaret Drive,” he added.
“From a trade perspective, public hire taxis operate in challenging times and they are a key part of the city’s culture infrastructure.”
He said they are “designed to be easily identifiable” and “unmistakable to the public”, with ranks at “key significant points”.
Another objector, Robert Finlayson, said: “The taxis are serving that part of the city, they are serving the nightlife. It is a vital part of the infrastructure.
“Whilst there may be objections to drivers committing road traffic offences, I don’t believe that is an issue that should be up to the licensing committee. That is something that should be taken to Police Scotland.”
Michael Meehan, from Unite the union, added: “This is a historic rank, it has been there for many years. It is a major junction, if you remove the taxi that’s not going to remove the commuters, the passengers that are going to be around there.”
Councillors on the city’s licensing committee refused the revocation request at a meeting last week.
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