Cab drivers in plea for more taxi ranks in West Bromwich
Taxi drivers in West Bromwich are calling on the council to increase the number of taxi ranks in a bid to ease congestion and make it easier for them to ply their trade.
At the moment there are just two taxi ranks in West Bromwich for Hackney Carriage drivers – one in High Street and one in St Michael’s Street – and drivers say this is causing problems with traffic. Between the two ranks, there are spaces for just eight black cabs and Onkar Basra of the Sandwell Taxi Association said problems were worsening.
He said as the council was unable to cap the number of licences being issued to new taxi drivers, the influx of competition from new drivers was coming as the council presses on with the regeneration of West Bromwich.
Mr Basra said changes need to be made sooner rather than later, in order for taxi drivers to be able to cope when the town emerges from its overhaul.
The father-of-two, aged 43, said: “At the moment there are more than 200 cabs operating in Sandwell and eight spaces in West Bromwich, its largest town, is not enough.
“We did approach the council before the town’s regeneration work started. I was in meetings with officers as well as planners asking what could be done.
“Nothing has happened since then though and that was two years ago.”
Mr Basra, who has driven black cabs for five years, added: “It’s very competitive work and it becomes more difficult without more official ranks.”
Councillor Ian Jones, the borough’s neighbourhoods boss who oversees taxi licensing, said the authority would consider how to help the association.
He said: “The difficulty we have at the moment is that the regeneration of West Bromwich is ongoing and not all of it is finalised. Once it is finalised, we will have a better chance of finding a permanent solution.”
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