Ms Margo Welsh applied for a private hire booking licence for Rosy and Pink Cars.

In a case that has been widely reported by the Scottish press, Ms Welsh’s proposal was a private hire operation entirely operated by women drivers who would be driving young children and other women.  

Margo told the Evening Times: "There’s definitely a need for this.
 
"Loads of taxi companies are predominately male. It’s another option for women.

"I spoke to my family who said do you want to be driving men around at night? I wanted to be taking grannies to bingo and kids to school, rather than a stag do.”

However, the city council’s licensing committee refused the application saying it was "sexist" against men and would breach a number of conditions attached the driver’s licences.

It has been reported that the committee questioned why male children could only use the service up to the age of 11. They also said driver conditions mean no passengers should be refused a journey, apart from in certain circumstances such as when they’re too drunk.

Stephen McCaffrey, from Taxi Defence Scotland, who represented Ms Welsh said the committee’s refusal of the application is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of how the booking app would work saying “…the concern that drivers’ conditions 3 and 10 would be breached is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the app and the process. It is disputed entirely that the drivers’ conditions would be breached. Even if this were the case, which it is not, female passengers up and down the country call operators and ask for a female driver and those requests are fulfilled – that is not regarded as discriminatory or a breach.”