Winsford taxi drivers urge awareness of new town centre rank
L-r Cabbies Alan Halpin, Andrew Ruddle, Hamid Tari and Dave Houghton on the new taxi rank next to the multi-storey car park in Winsford.
CABBIES are urging awareness of a new taxi rank in Winsford, in order that locals can flag down a ride when needed – and also avoid costly motoring fines.
Winsford’s Dene Drive rank is closed until Thursday, August 15, because of road works along High Street, but a new facility has opened in Dingle Lane, Service Road four.
Taxi driver Alan Halpin said: “The rank is in a great location, but the problem we’re having is that no-one is aware of it. I think I had two fares off it all day.”
Alan said the new facility solves the problem caused by the security locks on Asda trolleys – whereby the wheels lock up before shoppers can get their bags offloaded into a cab on the Dene Drive rank.
Meanwhile, council officials and police said they would be stepping up on-the-spot fixed penalty charges if motorists persisted in parking their private vehicles on the new rank.
“We’re having a lot of people parking their private cars on the rank. That’s an offence, and leaves less room for taxis” said Alan.
He added that the rank, developed in partnership between Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), ASDA and MAR Properties Ltd, was ‘good news for the town’, but may have avoided teething problems if it had been promoted more heavily.
CWAC has put additional signs are up in the vicinity to give residents directions.
A council spokesman said: “People are also warned that it is an offence to park on the new rank which could result in a fixed penalty charge issued by police. “Police and the council’s licensing department have so far issued warning notices on private vehicles that have parked there however fixed penalty charges will be issued in the near future.”
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