Sports chiefs blast Nicola Sturgeon as easing of travel curbs does NOT apply to organised club training – The Sun

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NICOLA Sturgeon was criticised after it emerged tomorrow’s travel-ban easing would not apply to jogging groups and running clubs.

People will be able to travel around Scotland for the first time in months for outdoor socialising, recreation, or “informal” exercise.

But athletics bosses hit out at the Scottish Government for not extending the relaxation to runners taking part in club training sessions or the 288 jogscotland groups, which are often attended by people trying to improve health and fitness.

Governing body scottish athletics said it was “extremely disappointed” and chairman Ian Beattie, a former vice chair of mental health charity SAMH, said it made “no sense”.

Mr Beattie Tweeted: “People allowed to travel all over Scotland to meet friends or family, but can’t travel outside their local authority area to take part in organised training?

“Makes no sense, particularly when mental health benefits of group training are considered.”

Mark Munro, development director at UK Athletics and sportscotland board member, branded it a “shocking decision”.

And in a tweet tagging Nicola Sturgeon he said: “Up to 1 million members in organised sports clubs in Scotland – not one of the smartest political decisions given the timing.“

The restrictions on leaving council areas have been in place for swathes of Scotland since November.

Organised sports groups have been allowed, but with strict limits on numbers and only for people within the same council area.

Fresh plea for more funding for taxi drivers – Glasgow Times

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Glasgow Conservative councillors are calling on the SNP administration to provide additional cash grants to drivers in the taxi and private hire trade.

The call comes after other local authorities including Aberdeen City Council announced funding worth £860,000 overall to support taxi drivers, with an additional £1,000 of automatic top up grant funding.

Dundee City Council and Angus Council have also expanded support provided by the Scottish Government’s Private Hire Support Fund.

That fund closed on March 25, despite only granting funding to less than two-thirds of eligible drivers and spending 57 per cent of its budget.

Glasgow Conservative councillor Thomas Kerr commented: “I continue to be inundated with correspondence from taxi drivers in Glasgow who are in a state of desperation. Their income has been completely decimated over the last year.

“If other local authorities elsewhere in Scotland can give extra funding to our taxi drivers, then that should be the case in Glasgow. I find it appalling that there has been radio silence from the SNP Leader of the Council on this matter and officials are saying they can’t do anything.