Blyth taxi drivers angry at losing out during Tour of Britain visit Drivers to seek compensation after the unexpected closure of their usual rank when the Tour of Britain came to Northumberland
Furious taxi drivers are demanding compensation because they claim they lost valuable business after their usual rank was closed when the prestigious Tour of Britain came to their Northumberland town.
The cycling event which saw the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish wind their way through Blyth before national TV crews was heralded a massive success.
But members of the Blyth Valley Taxi Drivers Association say they were denied the opportunity to cash in on the event by the unexpected closure.
Veteran driver Malcolm Skinner, 66, added: “The whole thing was a total disaster.”
The taxi drivers arrived at their rank on Bridge Street on the morning that Blyth was to host the end of a stage of the prestigious event, hoping the influx of people for it would see them raking in money.
However, they were soon told by Northumberland County Council and event officials that Bridge Street - and therefore their rank - was to be closed.
Despite this, they claim Arriva continued to operate buses on it.
Drivers were told a temporary rank would be created although this was to be on a side street where they believed they would get little work.
They asked for signs to be put up directing people to it but say it took several hours for this to happen and when it did, they were in the form of A4 sheets of paper.
The association, made up of around 12 members, say they lost around £50 each on the day.
It has sent a letter of complaint to the county council demanding compensation for drivers and has gone to the local government ombudsman.
David Hansen, 51 and a driver of 30 years, said: “We were never against the Tour of Britain, we thought it was great for people to see the world class riders but I think the council just brushed us aside as if we were not part of the transport infrastructure.
“They did not consult with us at all about the tour. We were an after thought.
“We came in with high hopes of it being busy but it did not turn out that way.”
Coun Dave Ledger, deputy leader of Northumberland County Council, said: “Bridge Street was not specifically included in the published Temporary Traffic Regulation Order however there was a clause within the TTRO which allowed the council to include other routes as identified by the race organisers to be used.
“To ensure the safe passage of schoolchildren during the community ride and for the safety of spectators, it was decided that alternative provision had to be made for the taxis.
“We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused but road closures were essential on the day to ensure the safe and effective staging of the event.
“The council and our partner, Culture Creative, have received extremely positive feedback for the management of the race from Sweetspot - the national organisers of the Tour of Britain.
“Over two days of cycle racing, over 200 traffic operatives worked incredibly hard to ensure that the road closures were carefully managed so that the race was a successful event broadcast on national TV and across the world.”
source:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor ... g-10148453
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