Taxi Driver Online

19 Feb 2008

We're sick of taxis outside our homes

FAMILIES living in a busy Coventry street say noisy taxis parking outside
their homes late at night are making their lives a misery.

Residents in the heart of Earlsdon have had enough of cabs parking on
double yellow lines outside their homes at weekends, keeping them awake.

They say things have become much worse in Earlsdon Street with later
opening of popular bars and pubs.

People claim that on Friday and Saturday nights, between 10pm and 2am,
cab drivers use the double-yellow lines outside their homes as a makeshift
taxi rank. It can mean cabs stretching about 200 metres outside rows of
terraced homes.

Some residents are threatening to park their own cars on the
double-yellow lines if nothing is done to resolve the issue within two weeks.

Justin Craig, a 36-year-old marketing director, who has lived in the street
for nearly six years, says he has witnessed a dramatic decline in his
neighbourhood over the past few months.

He said: "No one wants to take ownership of the problem. The police say
it's not under their jurisdiction to issue parking fines and the council is too
slow to act.

"I see this as an infringement of our civil liberties because of the noise and pollution.

"I have three children, all under the age of eight, who cannot sleep at
night because of the noise.

"On one night alone I've seen as many as 40 taxis out-side my house.
Taxis rule the roost around here."

Julie Rubridge and her husband have resorted to changing bedrooms at
weekends because of the nuisance.

The retired teacher said: "We moved bedrooms because we couldn't hear
the TV with the sound of running diesel engines and slamming car doors.

"We started moving from the front bedroom to the back at weekends just
before Christmas but I noticed the problem with taxis was getting worse
about a year ago."

Martin Clemons, 49, a social care worker, said: "My six-year-old wakes up
in the middle of the night because of the noise taxis make.

"The night economy in Earlsdon has developed quite a lot in the past few
years but there's nothing to back it up."

Cllr Catherine Harper (Con, Earlsdon) said: "I have lived in Earlsdon all
my life but the change in licensing has changed the character of this area.
People seem to think this is the city centre and a lot of my residents are
complaining about it."

A council spokesman said: "This is an issue that we are aware of and
there are a number of our officers and other partners, including the police,
involved in trying to resolve the problem.

"The Earlsdon Ward Forum is due to be held on Thursday, February 28, at
the Village Hotel, in Dolomite Avenue, Coventry Business Park, Tile Hill,
where council leader, Ken Taylor, head of planning and strategic
transportation Trevor Errington, and taxi licensing manager Frank Barlow
will be present to discuss the matter further.

"We would urge residents to attend to talk about this issue and any others
that are affecting them."

TOO MANY CABS IN THE CITY

COVENTRY Taxi Drivers' Association blames the number of city taxis for
the queues on the high street.

Association chairman Alias Yousef said: "Earlsdon has always been a
popular area for people going out for a drink because there are quite a
few late-night pubs.

"The problem is there are too many taxis in Coventry and not enough taxi
rank spaces.

"The issue is affecting areas all over the city because rank spaces are
even being reduced.

"We have asked the council to stop issuing Hackney Carriage plates to
help but nothing is being done.

"The way things are going it will only get worse and when it comes to the
summer there's going to be chaos all over the city."

Source: ic Coventry
----------
Disclaimer
These press articles are intended for informational purposes only.
Statements and opinions expressed in these articles are solely those of the original Publisher.
I cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of these articles, and therefore I am not liable for any information contained therein.
Where possible, the Publisher and the source are documented within each article.
Any author that holds legal copyright, and objects to their material being posted, may request that it be removed and any future material excluded.