47 Hackney licenses.

Bus station plan to cure town's taxi chaos


A BUS station could be turned into a makeshift taxi rank on Friday and Saturday nights.

The move follows concerns about the safety of the current taxi system in Newcastle town centre.

Some private hire taxi drivers have formed their own unofficial taxi rank on the Grosvenor island roundabout as they wait to pick up revellers in the early hours.

But the situation has been described as an “accident waiting to happen” by one bar owner, who says taxis waiting on the roundabout are causing traffic chaos.

Now, a licensing liaison group, which includes representatives from the police, environmental health, trading standards, fire service, and Newcastle’s Private Hire Association and Pubwatch, wants to see the town’s bus station used as a central pick-up point for taxis.

Group chairman Councillor Phil Maskery, Newcastle Borough Council’s cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said: “Private hire vehicles are waiting on the roundabout for people as they come out of the pubs and clubs, and they are clogging the road up and stopping other vehicles from getting past.

“It also means any pre-booked private hire vehicles are unable to reach their customers so you get people walking into the middle of the roundabout to find their taxi, which is obviously dangerous. You get a lot of HGVs using that roundabout as well, and they are going to struggle if there are taxis all over the road.

“The bus station is a big open space in the centre of the town which is not used in the early hours, and I think it would be ideal as a taxi pick-up point.

“The exact nuts and bolts of the scheme haven’t been worked out yet, but it would be properly done with stewards marshalling taxis in and out of the station.”

A meeting has been called between members of the licensing liaison group to drive the bus station idea. It is thought the scheme would be tested with a trial period first before a decision is made on whether to make it permanent.

Dan Maddox, who runs the Ikon bar in Hassell Street and is chairman of the Newcastle Pubwatch scheme, said: “I think it’s an excellent idea.

“The taxis are queuing up at the roundabout, and you are getting people jumping out in front of them on the road and trying to stop them.

“All it takes is for one car to approach the roundabout slightly faster than they should and we’re going to have an accident.”

There are currently 401 private hire licences in Newcastle borough, and 47 Hackney licenses.

Teresa Jones, secretary of the Newcastle Hackney Carriage Association, said the problems on Grosvenor roundabout were being caused by private hire vehicles from Stoke-on-Trent coming into Newcastle to pick up customers from High Street.

She said: “I’d say 99 per cent of the cars waiting on Grosvenor roundabout are private hire cars from Stoke-on-Trent which are picking up customers without bookings, which is illegal. They are swamping the town centre.

“Hackney carriages should be left to use the existing taxi rank on Hassell Street and if it’s busy, then put the private hire vehicles with bookings on the bus station.”

Dave Currie, secretary of the Stoke-on-Trent’s Private Hire Association, added: “The private hire drivers picking up people without bookings, whether from Stoke-on-Trent or Newcastle, are acting illegally and we don’t condone it.

“We are just as fed up with them as our counterparts in Newcastle seem to be.”

If they still restrict cab numbers they have the solution in there hands

There are currently 401 private hire licences in Newcastle borough, and

being caused by private hire vehicles from Stoke-on-Trent coming into Newcastle to pick up customers from High Street.

If they still restrict cab numbers they have the solution in there hands

There are currently 401 private hire licences in Newcastle borough, and

Pray tell Skip what solution is that, put even more taxis on the road by de-restricting?

No, you just change the PH into HC there would be no significant increase. Just legal drivers!

Pray tell Skip what solution is that, put even more taxis on the road by de-restricting?

She said: “I’d say 99 per cent of the cars waiting on Grosvenor roundabout are private hire cars from Stoke-on-Trent which are picking up customers without bookings, which is illegal. They are swamping the town centre.

I never said a word

I think you'll find you did and I asked what the solution was and suggested you meant de-restriction

Correct, with quality controls on PH, something like no vehicle over 3 years old at first or substitute licence

What do you think that will achieve?