Missing sign 'costing taxi drivers business' in Tewkesbury
Taxis in Tewkesbury are losing out on business due to a missing sign, according to one frustrated driver.
Keith Whistler says a crucial official sign at the top of a pole in High Street has been missing for about six months and the county council has failed to replace it.
He said the result was that, technically, anyone could park on the taxi rank.
Despite there being markings on the road making it clear that the three spaces are for taxis, without the additional words on the sign, the rank had not been properly designated.
And some motorists were taking advantage of the situation, parking on the rank and preventing him and other hackney carriage drivers from using it.
He said: “The sign went missing in about April. It just mysteriously disappeared overnight.
“Even when the sign is up, people park there. If you ask people to move, they give you abuse.
“But without the sign there, the traffic wardens can’t actually book people.”
He said the situation in Barton Street, where the other town centre rank had a proper authorised sign, needed to be replicated in High Street.
That was particularly important, he said, because the Barton Street rank was only available to taxis between 6pm and 6am, whereas the High Street one was available for them to use 24 hours a day.
And with the Barton Street rank only having space for two taxis, the High Street one was the biggest and best.
“That’s where people are going to come to find us but with vehicles parked in our way, we can’t ply our trade,” he said.
Keith is worried that the problem will only get worse next month when the traditional mop fair comes to town for two days.
With fairground rides on many of the town centre streets for the October 9 and 10 event, parking will become more difficult and he fears more motorists will leave their vehicles on the High Street rank.
Keith, who lives in Prior’s Park and has been driving a taxi in Tewkesbury for 38 years, has another fear about the rank problem.
He worries that, especially during the fair, a child could turn up at the rank to get a taxi and get into a vehicle that was not authorised - possibly putting themselves in danger from a predator.
With the sign having been missing for so long, Keith is annoyed that the council has been so slow to replace it.
He said the authority had been informed about the issue numerous times but had been “stonewalling” on it.
Jason Humm, Gloucestershire County Council’s area highways manager, said: “We are aware that the information plate at the taxi rank is missing.
“We have replaced the sign in the past but unfortunately it keeps being removed.
“We have spoken to our sign manufacturer recently and the new sign will be put up within the next four weeks.”
Hackney carriage drivers can pick up passengers from designated ranks and be flagged down in the street. Private hire drivers must only take passengers who have pre-booked their journey and they can not wait for a fare on taxi ranks or be flagged down in the street.
Read more:
http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/Mi ... z3EJ1lu2PM
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