Renfrewshire Council taxi marshals helping people get home safely over the festive period

Residents and visitors are being urged to stay safe over the festive and New Year period by preparing for journeys in advance.

Revellers are being asked to consider pre-booking their taxis to and from their night out and ensuring only licensed taxis or private hire vehicles are used to get home safely.

Renfrewshire Council has advised that only vehicles that have a Council taxi or private hire plate on the front and rear of the vehicle should be used and the driver should be displaying a badge within the vehicle, with private hire vehicles also having window stickers displaying the licence details on rear passenger windows.

The Council is providing taxi marshals on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at the Paisley Gilmour Street taxi rank next to County Squareto manage the queue and support people to get home safely after a festive night out.

Councillor John McNaughtan, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Regulatory Functions Board, said: “We know that people are out and about more often over the festive period which can mean a high demand for taxis.

“We’re providing taxi marshals at the Gilmour Street rank to ensure that people are safe while waiting for a taxi and the queue is managed appropriately, but if you can, pre-book your taxi home as this is the best way to ensure you get home quickly and safely over the festive period.”

Taxis for public hire in Renfrewshire are all white in colour, can be hailed in the street or pre booked, and rank at Glasgow Airport and Paisley Gilmour Street Station.

Private hire vehicles must be pre booked in advance through a private hire car company, of which there are several in Paisley, Johnstone, Linwood, Renfrew and Erskine, and cannot be hailed down in the street.

For more information visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/taxisandprivatehires.