Taxi Driver Online

4 Jan 2008

Southport town centre taxi driver’s concern about clubbers’ dangerous pranks

Wheelie bins tossed into the road by clubbers walking home from town
could cause a serious accident, according to a local taxi driver.

Bins awaiting collection at the kerbside are being overturned by youths in
the early weekend hours, leaving waste sprawled across some of
Southport’s main roads.

Drivers have reported a spate of incidents down roads out of Southport
town centre, including Lulworth Road, Portland Street and Sussex Road.

Tony Crabtree, chairman of North Sefton Hackney Carriage Association,
has witnessed drivers having to stop their vehicles to move bins
obstructing the road.

He said: “On certain routes, clubbers going home from town are throwing
wheelie bins into the road, whether they’re empty or full. It’s drunks,
naffed that they are walking home because they have no money for a cab,
and it’s not going to stop.

“There are no reflectors on these bins, and so in the dark, and especially if
it rains, there’s no chance of seeing them. If you hit one of them with your
car; hey presto, you’re out of work.

He added: “The council need to look at their collection patterns on these
problem routes, and make sure that bins aren’t left out on Friday and
Saturday nights.”

Cllr David Tattersall, Sefton’s environmental cabinet member, said there
hadn’t been widespread complaints that bins have been deliberately
knocked over.

He said: “Mindless people have always messed about with rubbish –
kicking black sacks, emptying litter bins and pushing over wheelie bins,
especially when they have had a drink or two. It happens all over the
country.

“Sadly, it's worse over the festive period with more anti-social behaviour
on our streets and yet another public safety issue for the police to deal
with.”

l Heavy winds toppled wheelie bins awaiting collection onto Heathfield
Road, Ainsdale, last Saturday.

Cllr Brenda Porter said she had received a lot of complaints from residents
and drivers.

She said: “It was so windy, it was a real danger. There were cars pulling
up to take the bins off the carriageway.

“I’ve spent most of New Year’s Eve dealing with this, and I shall be
contacting the relevant people.”

Cllr Tattersall admitted that exceptionally high winds were a problem for
some residents in exposed areas.

Source: Southport VISITeR