Car & Taxi
Travelling around Glasgow in either a car or a taxi is one of the easiest ways to see the sights of the city.
Getting around by taxi
With a fleet of more than 970 “black hackney” taxis, these are by far your best bet if you are looking for a taxi ride anywhere within or around Glasgow.
These are Glasgow Taxi’s, all of which are licenced by Glasgow City Council, and can be flagged down in the street; normally if they are available, the light just above their windscreen will be on.
Busy parts of town also have taxi ranks; designated areas where taxis will sit and wait on customers. These are present at Central Station, Queen Street Station, Buchanan bus station and also at various points throughout the city centre including on Sauchiehall St at Charing Cross – one of the busiest parts of town on the weekends.
Each of the hackneys are fitted with an approved (by Glasgow City Council) sealed meter, which displays the current fare throughout your journey. The Glasgow Taxis take you up to 8 miles from the city centre at the standard fare. Fares travelling beyond the city boundaries are not regulated and therefore are subject to negotiation.
All of the drivers should have their licence card on view within the taxi cab, as should a card showing the tarrifs. Most hackneys are permitted to carry 5 passengers, although there are new styles of cab that are permitted to carry 6. Drivers will lose their licence if they carry more passengers than permitted by law, so don’t even ask if they will do this.
For more information or to book you can either call 0141 429 7070 or visit the Glasgow Taxis website.
Taxi Tours
A guided tour can be the best introduction to any new city, and Glasgow is no exception.
At Glasgow Taxis, they offer a range of guided tours, which include Glasgow City tours, a Charles Rennie Mackintosh tour, and guided tours from Glasgow with a Burns tour, a visit to Loch Lomond, or to a working Scotch Whisky distillery at the foot of the scenic Campsie Fells.
All the guided tours we offer include the services of an experienced and knowledgeable tour guide taxi driver.
So as you travel through the history of Glasgow from the 12th century Cathedral to the 21st century Science Centre, or see the scenic splendours of Scotland’s countryside, our drivers will provide live commentary on all the places of interest – and on the bits in between!
All our guided tours are also available if you are visiting Scotland as part of a sea cruise. Our drivers can pick you up to start your tour from your choice of Glasgow City locations or from your cruise ship at Ocean Terminal, Greenock.
Visit the Glasgow Taxi website for more information.
Private hire taxi’s
There are also a large number of private hire taxi companies in Glasgow. These generally operate on the same basis as the black hackeys. The main differences are that they cannot be flagged down in the street, and are perhaps slightly cheaper than a black hackney.
Make sure you always look for the yellow licence plate sign in the private hire car window or the metal plate on the back of the car before taking a journey. Never accept a journey from a private car which stops claiming to be a private hire cab. No reputable driver would do this, and it is entirely illegal.
Getting around by car
Getting around Glasgow by car is a relatively easy task, even to city newcomers. There are a large number of car rental companies around Glasgow, particularly at the airports.
However, like any other major city in the world, congestion can become a problem at certain times of day. In Glasgow, rush hours are from around 7.30am-9.30am, and then from 3.30pm-6.30pm Monday to Friday.
Driving in the city centre at weekends is not generally troublesome, but again this depends on what’s on in the city. Friday and Saturday nights in the big pub/club areas are also often very busy.
Glasgow Low Emission Zone (LEZ)
We need to reduce levels of harmful vehicle emissions in our city centre. These can cause health problems, particularly for those most vulnerable.
That’s why from 1 June 2023, our Low Emission Zone (LEZ) will come into force.
All vehicles entering the city centre zone area will need to meet the less-polluting emission standards or face a penalty charge.
Parking in the city
There are a number of large multi-storey car parks in Glasgow city centre. Prices within multi-storey car parks vary depending on time of day, how long you stay for and the location of the car park.
Street parking is also available throughout the city centre with “pay-and-display” machines (pay at the machine and display a ticket). Parking restrictions apply in many areas of the city centre. These are normally displayed on a sign on a lamp-post, so make sure you check these to find out when you are allowed to park.
The Glasgow traffic wardens are known to be quite abundant, and ready to pounce the moment you leave your car somewhere it isn’t supposed to be. So make sure you are complying with parking regulations as the fines can be hefty (£30/£60 for a ticket, and £100 extra if your car gets towed).