An hours token strike and fekk me every one wants to talk....................well done comrades
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| Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=24859 |
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| Author: | captain cab [ Fri Aug 01, 2014 9:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out |
Angry Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out of town centre FURIOUS taxi drivers say they are being driven out of Stafford town centre due to a proposed shake-up of taxi ranks. And they have warned the move could lead to late-night disruption and antisocial behaviour if revellers at Stafford's nightspots cannot find taxis to take them home. The 70 members of the Stafford Taxi Association have been informed that the council aims to shut down the taxi rank of Bridge Street, at the side of the Casa nightspot, and move it to South Walls, next to the Royal Bank of Scotland. The proposed move is part of preparations for the new shopping complex and cinema being built at Riverside. But the taxi drivers say the South Walls rank would only have space for five cars - as opposed to the 20 or so that currently queue up on the service road behind Casa. Meanwhile a police proposal to block off Bridge Street to traffic late at night would make the situation even worse, by adding time and cost to taxi journeys, they say. "It is ridiculous - this is the safest and most convenient place for us to park at night," said Colin Jones, chairman of the Stafford Taxi Association. "They seem to be trying to push us farther and farther away from our customers." Mr Jones, 59, who has been a taxi driver for 10 years, said night-time closures of Bridge Street would mean longer journeys and higher fares for passengers travelling to the south of Stafford. Colleague Peter Stock, 52, a driver for 20 years, added: "Bridge Street is the best place for a taxi rank because the main pubs and clubs are in this area, and they all have security and taxi marshalls, as well as CCTV." Driver Nurul Rashid, 38, said: "There will be more people hanging around the town centre late at night, wandering around looking for taxis. At the moment they can get one straight away and go home safely." And Rich Phillips, 46, said drivers were also concerned about extra fuel bills if they had to take longer routes out of the town centre, or had to drive around because of a shortage of taxi rank spaces. A Stafford Borough Council spokesman said it was still consulting on the move. "We are working with the taxi trade and county council to ensure there is the proper provision for licensed vehicles because they are integral to the economy of the town and especially the night time economy," he said. "We've made the trade aware of the proposed relocation of the existing taxi rank in Bridge Street and have asked them for their views." Read more: http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.u ... z3982WouRO |
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| Author: | captain cab [ Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out |
Stafford taxi drivers to meet town's MP after protest strike STAFFORD taxi drivers are to meet the town’s MP Jeremy Lefroy and borough councillors this afternoon, Thursday, to discuss their fears over proposals to move the most popular late-night taxi rank in the town centre. The meeting, hosted by the Casa nightspot, follows a token hour-long strike by members of the Stafford Taxi Association late on Saturday night to register their concern about the effect on trade if the move goes ahead. The borough council has proposed moving the taxi rank from its current location next to Casa, off Bridge Street, to a new spot on South Walls, near the Royal Bank of Scotland, to make more room for construction work on the town’s new cinema complex. Meanwhile the police have suggested closing Bridge Street to traffic late at night on the busiest evenings for Stafford’s nightclubs, in the interests of safety. But the taxi drivers say both moves would mean revellers wandering round the town centre in the small hours in search of a taxi home, leading to more anti-social behaviour. The South Walls location is also too small for the number of taxis needed in town late at night, they say, while closing of Bridge Street would mean longer and costlier journeys for their customers. Taxi association chairman Colin Jones said: “These plans are putting drivers’ livelihoods at stake, because they will make it more difficult to find a taxi and drive custom out of the town centre. “People wanting a night out will head to Wolverhampton or Birmingham if we don’t make Stafford a welcoming and enjoyable place to go out.” Chief Inspector Jane Hewett, commander of Stafford Borough Local Policing Team (LPT), said: "We are working together with our colleagues at Stafford Borough Council to make the town safer and help reduce late night crime and anti-social behaviour, specifically Tuesdays and at the weekends. "One idea being explored is the possibility of bollards late at night in Bridge Street, from the corner of the Bank of Scotland on Mill Bank down to the Grapes, on the corner of Newport Road, which can be raised manually as and when required. "This is to help make the area safer for the volume of people in Bridge Street late at night. On occasions we are already blocking Bridge Street off with a police vehicle to ensure the safety of pedestrians within that area at that time of night. " If bollards were to be implemented this would help to make the area safer for pedestrians and ensure the road was not being used - but this idea is simply in the exploration stage. Read more: http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.u ... z39h9vKh1F |
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| Author: | trotskys twin [ Thu Aug 07, 2014 2:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out |
An hours token strike and fekk me every one wants to talk....................well done comrades
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| Author: | captain cab [ Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:01 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out |
Stafford taxi drivers launch petition over controversial taxi-rank move STAFFORD taxi drivers are launching a protest petition over controversial proposals to move a taxi-rank popular with late night revellers - and have won the support of a local councillor. More than 40 members of the Stafford Taxi Association met Stafford borough council representatives, Stafford police and the town's MP Jeremy Lefroy this afternoon, Thursday, to debate proposals to relocate the taxi rank which is sited off Bridge Street, next to the Casa nightspot. Drivers have a week submit their views to the council and are planning to put a petition in every taxi, and well as enlisting the support of local businesses and launching a letter-writing campaign. Stafford Borough Council is considering moving the rank to make more space for the town's new cinema and retail development off Riverside. But taxi association chairman Colin Jones said the plan would mean longer and more pricey journeys for taxis, add to road congestion elsewhere in the town, and lead to more late-night anti-social behaviour if revellers had to walk further to find a cab. And Littleworth councillor Rowan Draper said the potential effect on the taxi rank had not been made clear in the developers' plans for the Riverside scheme. He said the the developer should honour the existing plans outlined at public consultation meetings earlier this year. "At that consultation meeting I pointedly asked about the future of the taxi rank and I was assured that it was part of their vision," Councillor Draper said. "I feel that the planning committee should push for a condition on the application being approved that would ensure the future viability of the Bridge Street Taxi Rank. "I don't want to see the development removing the existing taxi rank that operates there because I feel would be a hazard to the Council's objectives delivering a safe and vibrant night-time economy. In over a decade of my social life being entertained in Stafford Town Centre I have known flashpoints on the Newport Road where taxis have been known to pick up passengers yet in the last four years I have yet to see an incident on Bridge Street especially with the support of Street Pastors and Taxi Rank Supervisors. I am look forward to using the cinema when the development is complete but as someone who does not drive I would like the peace of mind knowing that there is a safe taxi rank around the corner I can go to that will get me home for a reasonable price rather than forcing the rank to move and potentially costing more." Read more: http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.u ... z39mWBUW1j |
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| Author: | trotskys twin [ Fri Aug 08, 2014 1:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out |
Thats the way kick em in the bollox let emm know you mean it then negotiate ........................oldest trick in the book and somewhat quicker cheaper and more effective than litigation..................................well done comrades .....................THE REST OF YER TAKE NOTE
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| Author: | captain cab [ Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:32 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Stafford taxi drivers say they are being driven out |
Stafford taxi rank to close and become a cinema The main night-time taxi rank in Stafford town centre will shut to make way for a new cinema as part of a multi-million-pound development - sparking anger among cab drivers. The five-space rank in Bridge Street would be moved to the nearby South Walls when the five-screen cinema is constructed on the old Chicago Rock cafe site. Part of Bridge Street would also be closed to traffic from the junction with South Walls from 11pm in the evening to cut the risks to pedestrians. Concerns have been raised that the changes could put people off visiting the town on nights out and damage trade. Would these changes put you off going out in Stafford? Colin Jones, chairman of Stafford Taxi Association, said: "The rank in Bridge Street is the only rank at night in Stafford and the closure will seriously damage the night time economy and leave no taxi service for the public." The council has proposed setting up a rank in South Walls from 11pm to 4am - but Mr Jones says this means there will be 'no visible service from 4am to 11pm in the Bridge Street part of the town'. He added: "When it was pointed out that more than 30 taxis will be needed to service the public on busy nights, the response was that we have to circulate - so that means that they want over 30 taxis to drive around the one-way system. "If there are no spaces available on the rank they expect the taxis to keep on circulating until a space is available. Can you imagine the cost to the drivers to do this, and all the pollution it will create in the town centre?" A Stafford Borough Council spokesman said consideration would be given to the taxi drivers concerns: "The developer will be required to replace the existing taxi ranks currently on the Bridge Street service road. "Following comments from the taxi drivers’ association consideration is being given to see if the location of the rank in Bridge Street can be maintained or whether there is a better position to serve the needs of taxi users." The cinema is part of the new Riverside retail and leisure complex will include names such as River Island, H&M, Marks & Spencer and Primark, as well as a multi-storey car park. Two cinema chains have expressed an interest in moving into the development, although developers LXB Properties have so far refused to reveal their identities. Do you have a business in Stafford? Will these changes affect you? It will stand alongside a new unit with shops and restaurants, while an existing footbridge over the River Sow will be revamped. A report with the plans states: "Following discussions with officers of both Stafford Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council it is clear that there is a collective desire to re-provide taxi rank facilities in locations that may better suit the slightly different needs of the daytime retail and evening entertainment taxi trade. "The councils are considering options to close Bridge Street to vehicular traffic in a southbound direction from the junction with Mill Bank/South Walls at around 11pm in the evening in order to provide a more pedestrian friendly environment close to pubs, clubs and late night takeaways. In a northbound direction Bridge Street is already restricted to buses and cycles only. "Following a meeting with Stafford Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council and subsequent discussions with Staffordshire Police, it is proposed to re-provide taxi rank facilities for use after 11pm until the early hours of the morning on South Walls immediately to the east of the junction with Bridge Street. "It was also agreed that further taxi rank facilities could be provided on Clarke Street, which is to the east of the town centre but directly to the north of the permitted Riverside scheme and the point where the shopping mall would meet South Walls." http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2014 ... -a-cinema/ |
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