RANK RUMBLINGS


SAFETY FEARS AT BILLERICAY RAILWAY STATION RANK


Cabbies fear someone will be hurt because of parking chaos outside Billericay rail station. The number of rank spaces have been practically halved because of renovation work being carried out


at the station. Mark Waller, a Billericay representative of the Basildon Taxi Propri- etors’ Association, told the Basildon Recorder: “It’s completely out of hand - someone is going to get knocked


over and killed.”


A National Express East Anglia spokes- woman said: “We are working to minimise any disruption to the normal operation of the station, including the taxi rank.”


RANK REVIEW COULD FREE UP PARKING SPACES IN SOUTHPORT


A new report will assess whether taxi ranks are wasting valu- able parking spaces in Southport.


Cllr Sue McGuire called for Sefton Coun- cil to carry out the review, and claimed it “could have a positive impact on the car park- ing issues” in the town centre.


According to Cllr Mc- Guire there are cur- rently 25 hackney


carriage ranks includ- ing two feeder ranks across the resort, not including ranks in Ainsdale, with spaces for 75 vehicles.


Cllr McGuire told The Southport Champion: “There have been a number of parking spaces lost recently in the town centre and it’s a balancing act. We need to maintain the town centre as a business community.”


The matter was raised after proposals for new taxi ranks in the town were discussed at last month’s South- port Area Committee meeting, when mem- bers refused pro- posals for new ranks in West Street and Hill Street.


The rank usage report is expected to be dis- cussed at the next area committee meet- ing in July.


CORNWALL CABBIES ASK FOR SUPPORT IN BID FOR TOWN RANK


Wadebridge taxi driv- ers are urging people to support long-await- ed plans to install a taxi rank in the town. The six cab firms have been pleading with council chiefs for a designated area to park for many years. In 2007 they started a petition after two limit- ed waiting bays on The Platt were changed into loading bays. Last month Cornwall Coun- cil launched a public consultation over pro- posals to change


spaces, outside Bet Fred to Boots into a rank.


If successful it would operate from 8am to 8pm Monday to Thurs- day and 8am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.


Spokesman for the cab companies, Colin Williams from Wade- bridge Taxis, told the Cornish Guardian: “We have waited so long to get this far and cannot afford to miss this opportunity.” Cornwall Councillor


for Wadebridge, Scott Mann, has been back- ing the campaign. He said: “I have used some of my highways budget this year to get these plans into place and deliver it, if that is the will of the Wade- bridge residents. “Wadebridge is one of the largest towns in Cornwall without rank space, and I believe our drivers should be given every available opportunity to make a living in these difficult economic times.”


CHANGES TO ABERDEEN TAXI SERVICES WILL WORK


A fourth nighttime rank in Aberdeen could be installed on Union Street within weeks after officers recom- mended spending £12,000 on the scheme. The proposals to install the extra rank outside the Tilted Wig were revealed earlier this year following a consultation.


According to the Aberdeen Evening Express, officers have


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now said the scheme will work, is affordable and have sent the project to councillors for approval.


Licensing committee convener Cllr John Reynolds said the changes were all aimed at improving taxi services in Aberdeen. The licensing commit- tee is also due to make a decision on whether to continue allowing drivers zoned


to the airport to work in the city centre on Saturday nights. Cllr Reynolds said offi- cers have not recom- mended the commit- tee moves one way or the other on the issue. Following a trial peri- od, an option to allow airport-zoned cabs to work in the city on Sat- urday nights and early Sunday mornings has been offered to coun- cillors.


NEW RANKS PLANNED TO END DUBLIN’S TAXI WARS


Dublin officials want to build new permanent taxi ranks in the hope of ending the capital’s long-running taxi wars. The City Council are hopeful that more space for Dublin’s taxi drivers could help alle- viate tensions in the industry.


The Dublin Evening Herald reports that there have been wide- spread reports of rows between drivers who are desperate to get onto the city’s existing ranks.


Under the new propos- als, taxis will now be able to wait for fares on certain streets while special night-time ranks will be opened.


The changes are detailed in DCC’s draft taxi rank byelaws, which were to be dis- cussed by councillors at a meeting of the Transport and Traffic Strategic Policy Com- mittee.


As reported in PHTM, an episode of Prime Time Investigates shocked viewers by exposing the intimida- tion and bullying that goes on amongst driv- ers at ranks across the city. And it exposed drivers with criminal records, dangerous cars, drivers double- jobbing, drivers with- out licences, and cor- rupt NCT testers. To prepare the draft


taxi rank byelaws, the Roads and Traffic Department (RTD) invited submissions up to a closing date of June last year.


A “significant number” of these asked for more ranks or the relo- cation of existing ranks, according to Tim O’Sullivan, Executive Manager at the RTD. Revisions are also proposed for some existing ranks. However, Jerry Bren- nan from Siptu said some of these ranks would be on streets where pedestrian foot- fall is low, especially at night-time - a crucial period for drivers’ earnings.


PHTM JULY 2011


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