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Darlington taxi driver’s anger at loss of Victoria Road rankhttps://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes. ... road-rank/
Image: Sarah Caldecott/Darlington & Stockton TimesTAXI drivers in Darlington are furious following the removal of a rank which has been in operation for more than 50 years.Darlington driver Simon Claydon said the rank in Victoria Road was popular on Sunday afternoons with soldiers heading back to Catterick Garrison, when drivers could earn up to a quarter of their weekly income.
The rank was removed as part of changes to the road layout in Victoria Road.
Initially, there had been a proposal to reinstate a taxi rank in Park Lane, but it was dropped when plans to put a one-way system for part of Victoria Road, Park Lane and Waverley Terrace did not go ahead.
Mr Claydon, who took a break from driving during the pandemic due to low demand but has recently returned to the trade, said: “There’s a lot of people packing in at the minute because they can’t make a living and now we’ve lost another nine spaces.
“We’ve had that rank for over 50 years and I've been working it for 35 years. You could make £200. That’s probably a quarter of the income.
“It’s hard enough as it is getting people to use taxis at the minute without the council stabbing us in the back.
“It’s like banging your head against a brick wall. We pay a fortune for licences and checks.
“We just want to make a living and have a fair crack at the whip but there’s no space for us.”
Image: Sarah Caldecott/Darlington & Stockton TimesMr Claydon said he and other drivers he has spoken to were unaware of the proposals.
After contacting the council about the issue, he says he was told surveys of the rank were done on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, rather than Sunday, which is its busiest time of the week.
Darlington Borough Council says it held a consultation on the proposals in 2018 and 2019, but no responses were received by taxi drivers.
Andy Keir, cabinet member for local services, said: “An independent consultation about changes to Victoria Road was run between September 2018 and March 2019. As part of the consultation, taxi operators were contacted for their views but we did not receive any response. Residents, businesses owners and other interested parties were invited to have their say and the consultation was widely publicised and drop in events were held.
“A number of changes were made to the plans to reflect people’s opinions. Three separate 24 hour video surveys of the rank were conducted in May 2019 and concluded it was not well used. Legal traffic orders were published before the rank was removed and again no comments were received from the taxi industry.
“The council is currently consulting on further changes to Victoria Road and Neasham Road as part of the proposals for the development of station. The changes will affect how people use the station and surrounding areas. We would encourage everyone, including the taxi trade, to have their say on these proposal. It is important to note there are 72 taxi spaces around the town centre.”
Mr Claydon says taxi drivers in the town are struggling following the pandemic and need more ranks to make it easier to make a living.
The council says there are 72 taxi spaces in the town centre – but Mr Claydon disputed their figures, claiming they were including ranks which are no longer used due to changes in footfall in the town centre.
He said there was no need for the eight spaces in Beaumont Street following the closure of Inside Out nightclub, while the nine spaces in Coniscliffe Road were also not used because cars were usually parked there, and there was low demand in that part of town.
He also said the 17 spaces in Gladstone Street were not used following the closure of the former Mardi Gras nightclub.
He added: “They are counting a lot of dead ranks. We could go and park up there but we’re not going to get any business.
“We need more spaces in the town centre, where there’s footfall, and at the back of the railway station.
“They don’t seem bothered about us. They stick a few spaces here and there and think it will do.”
Image: Sarah Caldecott/Darlington & Stockton Times
Image: Sarah Caldecott/Darlington & Stockton Times
Image: Sarah Caldecott/Darlington & Stockton Times
Image: Sarah Caldecott/Darlington & Stockton Times
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