Cash-strapped taxi drivers in Renfrewshire have demanded more public money to help them cope with the Covid crisis.

Their trade union, Unite, has said the current £1,500 grants from the Scottish Government are not enough, with some drivers making as little as £50 a day while on the road.

Instead, they would like to see council chiefs plug the gap following the collapse of the local taxi trade over the past year.

Around 550 taxi drivers in Renfrewshire have received financial support from the Scottish Government in the last four months but Unite are urging the council to use special discretionary funds to provide further help.

Union officials have pointed out that council bosses in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Angus have provided individual grants of up to £1,000 per driver.

Unite is also calling on Renfrewshire Council and other local authorities to suspend all licence fees for a year to ease the financial strain.

Last week, the union wrote to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to demand more support for drivers.

Renfrewshire cabbies can apply for their £1,500 grant from the Scottish Government’s Taxi and Private Hire Driver Support Fund, launched in December.

However, Unite want a separate £10,000 government grant per driver, as they say the equivalent is being given to small business owners.

Officials also want drivers to get a second grant from the Taxi and Private Hire Driver Support Fund.

Charlie McDonald, Unite industrial officer, said: “The taxi trade is in dire straits and it needs all the support it can get.

“An online survey of taxi drivers highlighted that many are regularly working 16 to 17-hour days and clearing as little as £50.

“The survey also showed that 30 per cent had been unable to access any financial help from government support schemes.”

The Scottish Government said it has provided an extra £120million to allow councils to direct funding to specific groups such as taxi drivers.

A spokeswoman added: “The use of this funding is entirely at the discretion of local authorities.”

Renfrewshire Council said it is fully committed to helping local cabbies.

A spokesman added: “We wrote to every licence holder in Renfrewshire, encouraging them to apply to the Scottish Government’s Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Driver Support Fund, which resulted in more than £1.5million in support being awarded.

“The council’s discretionary fund is in place for businesses in Renfrewshire who have not been eligible for the different business grant supports from the Scottish Government.”