Taxi Driver Online

Can certainly sympathise with the loss of a rank to cycle lanes or other Covid stuff, but this sounds like a private hire firm, and thus this all looks very dodgy

(Photo of the 'petition' a bit big for on here, so link only.)


Bilston taxi firm gathers 3,000 signatures against 'unfair' road ban that sees drivers fined

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/loc ... -road-ban/

https://www.expressandstar.com/resizer/ ... V2BZ5I.jpg
Image: Express & Star

Taxi drivers and their customers in Bilston are protesting after their traditional rank near the bus station was turned into a cycle lane.

Wood Street has been designated a bus and cycle lane, which prevents drivers from Bilston Radio Cars waiting for passengers there.

Several other businesses have lost access to the back of their properties and drivers have been getting £60 fines if they use the road, even in emergencies.

Bilston Radio Cars owner Sawan Lal has amassed 3,000 signatures on a petition calling for Wolverhampton Council to reverse their decision and has led a walking protest from the rank to the bus station.

He said: "We have had this rank for years and everyone in the town knows where to get a taxi but without warning they stopped our cars from waiting there.

"We have had so much support over this from people in Bilston from our customers to market traders, they can all see how unfair this is and how it's affecting trade."

He added: "We have written to Wolverhampton Council asking them to reconsider their decision but we have heard nothing back from them.

"That is why we will keep protesting until they listen."

Bilston North Councillor Phil Page is concerned the situation is hitting local businesses hard.

He said: "We should be encouraging business in Bilston, we want the town centre to be vibrant but the decision is causing lots of problems.

"The taxi firm cannot get to the rear of their base and other businesses cannot get to the back of their premises. Now drivers have started getting £60 tickets, it really makes no sense."

He added: "I really hope Wolverhampton Council reassesses the situation because Bilston businesses need to be helped not hindered."

Wolverhampton Council has been approached for a comment concerning Wood Street.

This is the office on StreetView, which shows a wee cul-de-sac with double yellows

Think the StreetView is a bit out of date, so no sign of any bus/cycle lane. If you swing it round to the right that will show the bus station

And also shows another of the firm's cars (I'd guess) parked in a dodgy place

Who'd have expected that?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.56532 ... 384!8i8192

This earlier StreetView from years ago shows the market trader's area full of what looks like HCs

So maybe they're mixed fleet, and maybe there was a proper rank.

But looks like they used the market trader's area as some kind of unofficial car park.

Which is maybe why the more recent StreetView (above) shows that there's been bollards constructed to keep the riffraff taxi drivers out of the market traders' area

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.56540 ... 312!8i6656

considering that this road appears to offer access to a few industrial units, rear access to a doctors surgery (adjoining street) and the bus station ;I fail to see the logic in designating it a bus lane as the bus station is literally a few yards along it off the main road.

I am wondering if this wasn't a case of the bus companies applying pressure to the council to keep the taxis away which they saw as a threat to their trade.

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

If it is/was a proper rank then the council would have needed to meet the legal requirements when binning the rank i.e. consultation etc etc.

Looks to me a PH outfit and the cars were parked up outside. In the grand scale of things, it shouldn't be that much of an issue as punters can still book inside the office and the cars, which won't be that far away and can service them quite quickly.

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IDFIMH