Taxi Driver Online

Apart from painting the word taxi rank on the tarmac, should a council be obliged to erect signage as well?? we do not have a Q here sign, or anything else that says its a rank, only small no parking signs on lampposts along the rank.
Not that it would matter as the punters just jump into any car they want,no mater where it is on the rank, that was the councils fault as they said it was the punters prerogative

They should have some sort of post pointing out to punters that this is a rank, and usually for how many cabs.

But different councils do different things, and the odd one or two do it right.

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IDFIMH

I think that if the ranks in any location get any kind of signage at all then they're doing well.

A 'queue here' sign might help though, particularly since people seem increasingly incapable of forming a proper queue. For example, they often start queuing backwards in relation to the rank, so when the driver comes along he stops at the back of the queue

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Not that there's much queueing in my sleepy old manor; in fact, given the above, it's often more hassle than it's worth, and makes you thankful for a queue of taxis

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

To be legal, a rank has to be advertised in the local public press (in case of objections) then a road traffic order has to be made and all the "no waiting except taxis" signs have to be erected along with the No of cabs & any time resdtrictions. Also, a rank cannot just be "removed" without a legally advertised intention to do so.

Hope that helps

Taxi Ranks - PID786
Taxi Ranks PID786
For the purpose of their functions under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, the Council may from time to time appoint stands for hackney carriages for the whole or part of a day in any highway in the District which is maintainable at the public expense and may, from time to time vary the number of hackney carriages permitted to be at each stand. Ranks are normally located adjacent to railway, bus and coach stations and major attractions, such as retail areas, places of employment and entertainment/leisure centres and located within 50m to 100m of the facility to be served.

Ranks are designed so that passengers can board or alight from the taxi onto the footway on the nearside of the vehicle. Ramps and steps (if required) should only be used for access and egress via the nearside passenger door.Where taxi ranks are arranged on the offside of the road, a pickup and drop off point is available and identified on the opposite side for wheelchair passengers.

Stands may not be appointed at places where access to any premises is prevented or where picking up points by public service vehicles are impeded or without the consent of the highway authority being first obtained.

Eligibility
Recommendations can come from:

Police
Hackney Carriage Trade Association
Highways
Procedure
Before any stand is appointed, the police need to be notified and details of the proposals published in a local newspaper calling for any objections to be submitted to the Council within 28 days.If no objections are received, the Licensing Regulatory Board is requested to agree the procedures to establish the rank.

Requests for ranks are usually made by the taxi trade associations or from related transport bodies or by businesses who identify a need.