STATION STIRRINGS TAXI DRIVERS DEMAND ACTION
AFTER “DAILY ABUSE” AT STOCKPORT STATION
Stockport taxi drivers are calling for urgent action to address the abuse and intimidation they are suffering outside the town’s railway station. The Stockport Taxi Association (STA) said drivers “don’t feel safe” after a surge in incidents including verbal abuse, physical fights and damage to vehicles due to non- taxi drivers parking illegally in ranks and bus stops. Tauqir Chaudhry, chairman of the STA, stated: “Every second day we get a crime reference number from the police. People regularly park their vehicles in unauthorised areas, leading to physical fights, injuries, and damage to vehicles.” Asim Javed, a taxi driver for seven
years, explained: “Sometimes we’re about to move off and people are trying to get in and park next to us on the rank. It’s very dangerous. “We just want the trouble to stop. It’s about safety for drivers and other people who come here.” Waseem Saeed, a taxi driver of 14 years in Stockport, added: “Every driver here has been involved in some incident with other drivers, it happens every day. I’ve had it a few times myself. There has been physical fighting. If they put a camera here people would get tickets and it would stop.” To help, the STA is proposing several solutions, including: l
at Manchester Piccadilly station. l l
Increased traffic warden patrols: to enforce parking regulations.
Extra CCTV: to deter anti-social behaviour and help investigations.
Physical barriers: similar to those
Stockport Council has acknow- ledged the cabbies’ concerns and is currently reviewing potential safety measures. Cllr Grace Baynham, the council’s transport lead, said: “We under- stand the challenges and have increased enforcement in the area. While a taxi-only zone is challenging, we’re reviewing STA’s suggestions for further improvements. “CCTV is already in place, and we encourage drivers to report any incidents to GMP for investigation.”
TAXI DRIVERS AT NOTTINGHAM STATION FEAR FOR FUTURE AS STATION STREET EXIT CLOSES
Nottingham’s black cab drivers are facing an uncertain future after the closure of the Station Street exit to the railway station. They argue that the move is the “final nail in the coffin” for their industry. The drivers’ plight stems from a series of changes to the station’s layout over the past decade. The original taxi rank on Car- rington Street was replaced by a pedestrianised entrance, and subsequent relocations to Trent Street and Station Street have further eroded their visibility and accessibility to passengers. Chander Sood, secretary of the Nottingham HCODA, expressed concern about the impact of the closure of the Station Street exit. “We’re choking now,” he said. “We
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used to wait 15 minutes for a job, and now it’s around two hours. “Is it worth it? How am I going to survive? We have more than 200 drivers with families to feed that rely on this trade. The council needs to wake up.” The drivers argue that black cabs rely on visibility and immediate availability. Drivers say Nottingham City Council told them the Station Street exit was where most passengers left the station and would see the taxis immediately. For a decade they have operated from there, but say trade has slowly dwindled. On October 30, East Midlands Railway closed the Station Street exit as part of a three-week trial to try and clamp down on fare dodgers entering the
station that way and not paying. Black cab driver, Mohammad Khal, said: “Customers are coming out of the station’s main entrance, and they don’t know where the taxis are because we’re already well- hidden. This entrance was our living.”
Mr Sood added: “We’ve never been consulted. We’re a main stake- holder. They should come to us and say, look, we are going to have a consultation. We always get told take it or leave it. “You can see the distance [to the main entrance]. How are senior citizens or wheelchair users going to come down with luggage? The closure trial lasted until November 17, but the drivers fear that it may become permanent.
DECEMBER 2024 PHTM
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