Taxi Driver Online

Just one taxi company will be allowed to pick up patients and visitors from Wales' biggest hospital

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/heal ... d-14748067

Taxi drivers say the measure could affect their livelihoods

Wales' largest hospital is set to allow just one taxi firm onto the site to pick up patients as part of stricter parking measures.

But taxi drivers say the controversial decision could affect their livelihoods and will be detrimental to patients and visitors to the University Hospital of Wales.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has put a contract out to tender which will give one company full access to pick up patients and use the six-space rank.

Any other firms seen parking at the Heath site will be fined if they are caught by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

At present the health board claims too many taxis are parking in an area just outside the main concourse which is proving a safety hazard.

Yousef Jama, a hackney carriage driver, has objected to the measure and said: “That rank is the busiest in Cardiff because so many people go in and come out of the hospital.

“It’s a place where we can get regular fares and people are rarely rude or bad mannered.

“If they are going to tender this out and take away that rank for us to use then it will be a big loss to drivers.”

Another taxi driver said: “People who have been in hospital or gone for an appointment will no longer be able to just walk out straight into a taxi.

“Now everybody will have to book a taxi to come and collect them.

“This is Wales’ busiest hospital so I’m not sure how it is going to go down with patients, particularly those who have been waiting all day. I can see this is going to be a bad idea.”

Taxi drivers met with Assembly Member Julie Morgan and Cardiff councillor Dilwar Ali to discuss changes to taxi services at the University Hospital of Wales.

Twenty-nine taxi drivers met with Cardiff politicians on Saturday to express their fears over impending changes to the taxi arrangements at UHW.

Assembly Member for Cardiff North Julie Morgan said the taxi drivers were “very worried” about the measures.

“Their main concern at the moment is that they don’t feel they have been consulted about what’s happening,” she said.

“I have been in touch with the health board and I have asked for things to stay as they are before we can assess what impact this has.

“I’m concerned about the taxi drivers’ livelihoods and about whether patients will be getting the best taxi service possible.”

Anna McMorrin, MP for Cardiff North, added: “Over 30 hackney carriage drivers have appealed to me for support after informally being told they will no longer be able to pick up passengers from the hospital. They are all very worried about their livelihoods.

“I have contacted the Cardiff and Vale Health Board and will be raising these concerns with them.”

In response a spokesman for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “The health board is currently out to tender for a taxi company to provide a taxi service at UHW.

“The tender closes on June 19 and therefore no decision on the award of contract has been made.

“The area outside UHW concourse, and surrounding road, is extremely busy and presents challenges regarding how we control the area and health and safety.

“The risks are compounded by the fact that hackney carriages consistently exceed the allocated number of spaces available to them.

“They have six allocated spaces but the number of hackney carriages in the concourse area is consistently well into double figures. They also double park, park in drop zones, and are in constant circulation of the area.

“The franchising of the taxi rank, together with the new parking enforcement arrangements from June 5, will introduce greater control of the area thereby managing current health and safety risks.

“The taxi tender will also ensure that only approved and appropriately vetted taxi drivers are permitted to use the rank to deliver services to patients and visitors to UHW.

“Anyone parking and waiting on the site without permission will be fined £70.”

Only if the tender is won by a private hire firm.

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Grandad,

It would appear from the statement from the Health Official,Cardiff licensing Authority do not vet and approve that "everyone is a fit and proper person" but if they work for a office it all of a sudden makes them "fit and proper person.

Can't see this ending well

Taxi drivers forced out of the University Hospital of Wales have set up a rank on a street nearby

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... l-14783534

Just one taxi company will be allowed to pick up at Wales' biggest hospital

Just days after it was announced that only one taxi firm will be allowed to pick up patients and visitors at Wales' largest hospital, drivers have been spotted parking up on streets around the corner, infuriating residents.

Cardiff and Vale Health Board said they have out a contract out to tender which will give one company full access to use the six-space rank at the University Hospital of Wales at the Heath in Cardiff.

Any other firms seen parking at the Heath site will be fined if they are caught by the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

At present the health board claims too many taxis are parking in an area just outside the main concourse which is proving a safety hazard.

But it seems that cabbies have found a new spot to pick up and drop-off around the corner.

Sian Blake took a picture of at least five drivers parked up outside her house and posted it online.



She said: "A pop up taxi rank has appeared on King George V Drive off Allensbank Road since changes to Heath Hospital parking!! @cardiffcouncil can you do something about it please?"

Drivers were also pictured outside Heath park parked up waiting for customers.

A spokesman for Cardiff Council said: “Following this matter being brought to our attention, Civil Enforcement Officers will be visiting the area and will be taking appropriate action against the taxis that have stopped illegally on double yellow lines. “

In an earlier response, a spokesman for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “The health board is currently out to tender for a taxi company to provide a taxi service at UHW.

“The tender closes on June 19 and therefore no decision on the award of contract has been made.

“The area outside UHW concourse, and surrounding road, is extremely busy and presents challenges regarding how we control the area and health and safety.

“They have six allocated spaces but the number of hackney carriages in the concourse area is consistently well into double figures. They also double park, park in drop zones, and are in constant circulation of the area.

The franchising of the taxi rank, together with the new parking enforcement arrangements from June 5, will introduce greater control of the area thereby managing current health and safety risks.

“The taxi tender will also ensure that only approved and appropriately vetted taxi drivers are permitted to use the rank to deliver services to patients and visitors to UHW.

“Anyone parking and waiting on the site without permission will be fined £70.”

Be interested to find out if the firm that’s now allowed to rank up on the six spaces is actually a firm with Hackneys.

I suspect not, and that’s the interesting part.

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IDFIMH

I suppose it depends if it is a public road or a private road.

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Grandad,

More interested in the booking process rather than the ‘street’ aspect.

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IDFIMH

or if as part of the deal a mini booking office is set up inside

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

Unless the Public are denied total access the roads and pavements and the car parks will be classed as public thoroughfares.

So is our bus station BUT it is private land albeit owned by the council so you can't be ticketed by a traffic warden because it isn't a public road

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

They can't stop them from dropping off inside the hospital grounds. If they get an ANPR hit just ignore it.

If it is private land they can stop whoever they like from using it.

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Grandad,

Be a very stupid person to restrict access to anyone to a hospital.

Be that by walking in or being dropped of and being picked up by a taxi/PH.

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IDFIMH

Its NHS land which is owned by the UK Tax Payer

Did it never dawn on the hospital trust to maybe extend the cab rank to alleviate the parking problem? Or maybe allocate a bit of the car park to a taxi holding are?

Not everyone can drive, not everyone has access to a bus service to the hospital. therefore this can be seen as discriminating against the disabled.

Does the hospital vet all the unlicenced illegal private hire cars that masquerade as "volunteer hospital transport" at 45p a mile? I doubt it and you can bet your boots they hang around an awful lot.