STATION STIRRINGS ILLEGAL TRAVEL DRIVING
SWANSEA CABBIES OUT OF WORK
Freeloading revellers are opting for a one- way ticket to the bright lights of Swansea, leav- ing local taxi firms struggling for survival. Drivers claim a lax atti- tude towards ticket-less travel at the town’s rail- way station is allowing party-goers to travel to the city for free on Fri- day and Saturday evenings.
Although both Neath and Swansea stations are equipped with tick- et barriers, they are often not in use follow- ing the evening rush hour. The short jour- ney also allows little time for train conduc- tors to check every traveller’s ticket. Bob Hoyles, chair of the Neath Taxi Propri- etors’ Association, said
the situation was taking its toll on the town’s night-time economy. He told the Neath Guardian: “Especially in the current climate, it’s affecting every night-time business in town. I don’t blame the customers. If I had a choice between a taxi and a free train ride I know what I would choose. “And what that does is give them the money to spend on a taxi home - but that will always be a Swansea taxi. If you come to Neath early on a Saturday or Sunday morning all you will see are Swansea taxis dropping off.
“I do think the rail company should be policing it a bit better. They should be man-
ning the stations, even if it’s just at the Swansea end.”
A train ticket to Swansea from Neath costs £1.90 off-peak, while a taxi journey works out at around £12. Peter Northcott, head of stations at Arriva Trains Wales, which operates both sta- tions, insisted: “Arriva Trains Wales takes ticket-less travel very seriously. Regular sur- veys are carried out and we also extend gate-line hours when there are major events on our network. “Conductors on ATW services can sell tick- ets on trains and will walk through the train before arrival in Swansea.”
RICHMOND CABBIES ARE DRIVEN TO DESPAIR
Cabbies are queuing up to criticise plans which would see their long-standing taxi rank shunted to a new town centre location. Black cab drivers have lashed out at Transport for London (TfL) for pushing through a pro- posal to pedestrianise the front of Richmond station, relocate its bus stops outside the neighbouring parade of shops and force the taxi rank, which drivers claim has been in operation for 108 years, elsewhere along The Quadrant. But a TfL spokesman passed the buck on to Richmond Council, saying the move was their idea and drivers should direct their comments and feed-
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back to officials there. Despite the confusion over where the blame lies, the spokesman for the makeshift cabbie community, Bill Clarke, told the Richmond and Twickenham Times: “It’s complete mad- ness. It will be terrible for us and terrible for the public. This is a complete waste of the public purse, I cannot believe it. “We want [the rank] to stay where it is to serve the people of London as it has done for over 100 years.” Mr Clarke believes many people leaving the station rely on and feel safer having taxis waiting so close by. After hearing the plight of the cabbies, MP for Richmond Park, Susan
Kramer, said: “I would like to see a better position for the taxis, but also want to make sure that the design gets the approval of station users.”
The council’s cabinet member for traffic, transport and parking, Cllr David Trigg, said: “Taxi drivers will have nine more spaces under the changes in the road layout we have proposed, and which has been agreed by their gov- erning body, the PCO. “The new road layout places the taxi ranks just 20 yards away from the station, in The Quadrant, where the zebra crossing is now. They will still be very visible from the station entrance.”
PHTM OCTOBER 2009
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