Taxi Driver Online

Taxis get ticketed - for parking in cab rank!


THREE Thurrock taxis were issued with parking tickets – despite being parked on a taxi rank while the drivers were in a meeting with council officers.

They were stunned to find enforcement notices on their vehicles at the Crown Road taxi rank, in Grays, at around 3pm on Tuesday, March 19.

When the bewildered cabbies opened the yellow packets containing their tickets, they were left none-the-wiser as to why the parking notifications had been issued. The tickets simply read “parked on a taxi rank”.

The drivers, all committee members of the Thurrock Licensed Drivers Association, had parked up to attend their regular meetings with the taxi licensing department.

John O’Donoghue, vice-chairman of the association, said it was “unbelievable”.

He added: “We contacted the parking services department at Thurrock Council and were told we were illegally parked and they were not prepared to negotiate cancellation of the tickets. We will, of course, be challenging their right to issue.”

John Graham, association chairman, also got a ticket. He said: “It’s ridiculous. It’s a taxi stand. They don’t even ticket normal cars parked there.”

Mr O’Donoghue said he expects more tickets will be issued at the rank as drivers have to leave their taxis to use toilets in the precinct. The council closed toilet facilities in the nearby bus station last year.

He added: “We hope to arrange a meeting shortly with relevant council departments to discuss and resolve the ongoing issues.”

Thurrock Council declined to comment.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21648

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

So would they have a problem if the PH trade parked up on said rank when they where at a meeting with council officials, or maybe folks attended a planning meeting?

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IDFIMH

I wish they would do that here when gangsta cabs park up in the middle of the rank for half an hour at a time to go down to their office for a coffee break !! But neither the new traffic wardens or the police will tackle the issue

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

ph no allow on rank anyway but you right that hack no in service should no be there as well

So they think they can park on a rank while they go into meetings with the Council?? The warden was right IMO.

Cant believe a hack driver would park on a rank anyway,its fair game for a ticket.Its called "leaving your cab unattended"

Thats correct - however the ticket allegedly stated “parked on a taxi rank”, surely it should have cited the offence code or something similar?

Traffic Regulation Order (TRO)

The Borough of Thurrock (Taxi Ranks, Grays)

(Prohibition of Stopping) (Amendment)

Traffic Order 2012

1.Notice is hereby given that Thurrock Borough Council, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1, 2 and 124 and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ("the 1984 Act") and of all other enabling powers and after consultation with the Chief Officer of Police in accordance with Part III of Schedule 9 to the1984 Act, intends to make the above named Order ("the Proposed Order").

2.The general effect of the Order would be to revoke the waiting restriction "No Waiting At Any Time Except Taxis" at the locations specified below and replace with the new restriction "No Stopping At Any Time Except Taxis": -

a.Crown Road, south side, from a point 61 metres west of the western building line of Nos 55/57 High Street in an easterly direction for a distance of 135 metres

b.Cart Lane, west side, from a point 5 metres north of its junction with Clarence Road in a northerly direction for a distance of 18 metres

c.Clarence Road, north side, from a point 4 metres east of its junction with Cart Lane in an easterly direction for a distance of 18 metres

d.Clarence Road, south side, from a point 25 metres east of the common boundary of Nos. 16/18 Clarence Road in an easterly direction for a distance of 25 metres

3.A copy of the Proposed Order together with the plans will be available for inspection for a period of 21 days at the Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Thurrock, Essex, RM17 6SL, during normal office hours.

4.Any objection to the proposed Order must be made in writing, giving the grounds on which it is made, and sent to the address in paragraph (3) to arrive on or before the 16th March 2012. Any objection may be communicated to other persons who may be affected.

Andrew Millard
Head of Planning & Transportation
Thurrock Council

Originally Published: 20 February 2012

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/198 ... /9/part/IV

The ticket should surely cite the byelaw the taxis have broken - if it is relying on the wording of the traffic order I would say the drivers concerned have a point.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Fair enough, i thought they didnt know not to park on rank.Id challenge it then nothing like getting one over on wardens

You wouldn't get very far mate, round here now after letters to the Council the Traffic wardens are now ticketing lorries who park on our ranks unloading after their allotted time of 09:30, there's a new app which all the drivers are using to capture lorries with the time and date stamped on to the photo to capture lorries and other road users who are unloading on our rank when visiting Wetherspoons. It's working at the moment.

Parking enforcement dont count on people challenging them,most pay the fine and forget about it.Ive been to court twice to challenge tickets and both times they quashed the fine.But it wasnt for parking on a taxi rank

I think the point is being missed. It's a rank, not a car park for taxis.
These same guys would be the first to complain about not being able to use the rank if anyone else parked in it.
They really should know better.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

I would have to agree with some of the guys here. A member of the public goes to a taxi rank to hire a taxi. If the taxi driver has gone to a meeting, the cab is parked and not waiting to be hired. Tickets deserved IMO.

My pet hate, drivers who park on working ranks.

Pay like everyone else has to.