Taxi Driver Online

Richmond Cabbies Driven To Despair Over Plans To Move Taxi Rank

Sunday 23rd August 2009

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 proposal 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.

It could be moved across the road or possibly outside O’Neill’s pub.

But a TfL spokesman passed the buck on to Richmond Council, saying the move was the council’s idea and drivers should direct their comments and feedback to officials there.

Despite the confusion over where the blame lies, the spokesman for the makeshift cabbie community, Bill Clarke, said: “It’s complete madness. 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 said the plan to pedestrianise the area outside the station, where taxis currently queue, and move the nearby zebra crossing directly outside, was shortsighted.

He added: “It was there years ago and people were coming out of the station drunk – they would just run across the road and crash, bang, wallop, they were knocked over.”

The cabbie also 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, Councillor 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 governing body, the Public Carriage Office.

“We have held two recent meetings with drivers to explain the plans and listen to their views, and only a small number expressed concerns.

“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.”

Source; Richmond&TwickenhamTimes.co.uk

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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The lad’s right, in these so called tight times, it always amazes me how individual councils have hundreds of thousands of pounds to pizz on stupid schemes like this one.

Richmond Station has had a forecourt since the times of horses, why change it now? Why pizz another much needed £30K up the wall on unneeded change?

Spend it on the boroughs old people, or a scheme to help children get on the straight and narrow or the parks.

Even my roof in Sweden would be a better use of that cash.

Yet more respect shown to the cab trade!!!!!

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IDFIMH