Taxi Driver Online

'End the chaos' - Cabbies urge rethink over Wolverhampton Railway Station taxi rank

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/tra ... taxi-rank/

City councillors have joined forces with cabbies to urge Wolverhampton Council to 'end the chaos' at the taxi city's railway station's taxi rank.


Image: Express & Star

The revamped vehicle entrance to the station, which opened last year, has been widely criticised for its poor design and not providing enough taxi bays – leading to heavy congestion, traffic jams and poor parking.

Now calls have been made for the Labour-run authority to step in and prevent further 'chaos'. It comes as work is underway on a £150 million rebuild of the station.

The taxi rank is marshalled from 6pm every day, but drivers say this misses extremely busy night time train services where people pouring out of the station to meet cars there to collect them.

They also claim that parking restrictions are not being properly enforced.

Councillor Paul Singh, Tory councillor for Penn ward, said: “I’ve seen for myself just how busy and chaotic the taxi rank and neighbouring streets can be during peak periods. It’s quite clear that this situation can’t continue and something needs to be done urgently to address the problems being experienced.

“A lot of money was spent on the new vehicle entrance for the station – and taxi drivers are telling me its not fit for purpose. I’ve been shocked to hear about accidents involving vehicles, something needs to be done as quickly as possible.”

Parminder Sekhon, Chair of the Wolverhampton Taxi Owners Association and a regular user of the taxi rank, said: “What kind of a welcome is it for people visiting our city, when they come out of the station and face absolute chaos?

“I’ve never known a week without an accident happening here due to the heavy congestion and poor design of the entrance.

"This needs a team of professionals to take a look at it, as well as proper enforcement of parking restrictions. Unfortunately nobody wants to take responsibility for sorting it out.”

Wolverhampton Council leader Roger Lawrence said he was aware of issues at the station at peak times. “There are times when the situation is unsatisfactory,” he said.

“We are looking at what can be done to improve it, and we are considering bringing in extra stewards as a short term measure.”


Image: Express & Star

Some of the specific concerns raised a year and a half ago when it was first opened. Mainly about the narrowness of the road and thus not enough space for people embarking to open doors, according to a driver:



But according to the council back then the road is deliberately left narrow to slow traffic: