RANK RUMBLINGS SUNDERLAND RANK TO TACKLE PROBLEMS


A new taxi scheme started last month to tackle problems in Sunderland city centre. Jim Blackburn, the senior councillor res- ponsible for transport, announced a new taxi rank would be set up at the east side of Green Terrace to help beat parking problems in the area.


He was responding to a question from Tory deputy leader and transport spokesman Peter Wood. Cllr Wood raised con- cerns about the “dangerous” problem of taxis backing up from the west site of Green Terrace into Albion Place and St Michael’s Way, partic-


ularly during the busy nighttime hours. “These measures have been developed by a working group of rep- resentatives from the council, Northumbria Police, Nexus and bus operators,” he told the Sunderland Echo. “The working group also discussed addi- tional ranks in the city.”


NO EXTRA RANKS FOR RHYL TAXIS


Taxi drivers have blast- ed a decision not to set up another rank in Rhyl.


Rhyl has only 69 rank spaces for 243 licensed taxis and a survey has shown that the number of ranks does not meet customer demand. But Denbighshire


County Council’s licensing committee has decided not to increase the number of spaces despite pres- sure from taxi drivers. Andrew Bunn, manag- er of A and J Taxis, said taxi companies were disappointed by the decision.


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He told the Rhyl Jour- nal: “You pay your money for your badges and for your vehicle plates and you don’t really get any- thing in return.”


Councillors recom- mended the highways department review taxi locations in the town.


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TAXI RANK PLANS IN LOUGHTON


In response to demands from taxi drivers, council offi- cers have drawn up a list of potential sites for ranks in tube sta- tions and town centres across the district. Cabbies argue that new ranks would reduce chaos at tube stations like Loughton. They also claim that


town centre taxi ranks would reduce the pressure on sites like tube stations by pro- viding independent taxi drivers with alter- native places to pick up fares.


In March, due to an absence of taxi ranks in the area, cabbies almost came to blows when competing for


fares outside Lough- ton Underground Sta- tion.


The plans for the new taxi ranks were to be discussed at a meet- ing of Epping Forest District Council’s licensing committee for councillors to decide whether or not to press ahead with a consultation.


KIRKLEES RANK REINSTATED


Frustrated Kirklees drivers have had a Bradford Road rank reinstated after protesting that its clo- sure was unfair.


The rank, near Hick Lane, Batley,


was


closed in March after complaints that too many taxis were park- ing near the two-car rank.


Its location, in front of


several bars and nightclubs, saw PHVs competing with hack- ney carriages for customers on Brad- ford Road.


This was resulting in fighting between driv- ers, with one hackney carriage driver being assaulted, the meeting heard.


Kirklees’ Licensing and Safety Committee has


now agreed to reinstate the rank after Batley councillors objected to its closure.


According to the Batley News, Councillors agreed to reinstate the rank for six months, but said meetings between hackney carriages and private hire firms were needed to find a way to prevent future disputes and traffic problems.


ABERDEEN CABBIES HIT AT NIGHT RANKS


Aberdeen drivers have made an urgent request for a review of nighttime ranks after they switched to oper- ating seven days a week.


Aberdeen Taxi Group spokesman Brian Sin- clair told the Aberdeen Evening Express: “We didn’t agree that all the


night ranks should be operational seven nights a week.” Mr Sinclair said that except at weekends there were more taxis than customers, and it was thought that by opening all ranks it would give both cus- tomers and drivers more choice. He added:


“What has transpired is the opposite - cus- tomers have less choice as to where to get a taxi. “Overnight we have lost half of our night- time rank spaces.” Mr Sinclair’s comments were to be considered at a meeting of the Aberdeen Taxi Consul- tation Group.


HEREFORD DRIVERS WANT MORE RANKS


‘Give us what we need so we can do our jobs’ is the cry from fed-up cab drivers in Here- ford, who say a chronic shortage of taxi rank spaces is crippling their businesses. Drivers say they are being constantly told to move on by parking wardens as they wait for a fare in a number of areas in the city, particularly St Peter’s Square.


Hereford Taxi Associa- tion says there are 263 registered taxis in the county and 583 badged drivers.


According to the Here- ford Journal, members have already met with councillors in a bid to resolve the situation but many drivers say they are being forced to stay on the move - using up valuable fuel. A statement from Here- fordshire Council said


that wardens adopted a ‘common sense’ approach to taxis and will ask drivers to move in preference to issu- ing a penalty.


“The council is very aware of the pressures on taxi rank space and regularly meets with the Taxi Association to explore how the ranks can be improved. “The council is current- ly exploring options to improve this further.”


PHTM NOVEMBER 2011


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