20 Mar 2008
Drivers’ anger at taxi rank plan
Private hire car drivers are up in arms over proposed taxi ranks in
Reading, after they were told their views would not be considered.
Reading Borough Council has proposed four new taxi ranks in the town
centre, which can only be used by Hackney carriages.
The sites had been chosen after the council surveyed places where private
hire cars, which compete for business with Hackney carriages, most often
dropped off or picked up passengers over a two-week period.
In February, the council asked the public to put their views of the project
forward, but did not ask private hire drivers for their views directly.
When Manzoor Hussain, director of Yellow Cars Ltd, sent a letter of
objection on behalf of private hire drivers, he discovered he had missed
the deadline, on Friday, March 14, by one day and that his views may not
be considered.
He told the Evening Post: “Yellow Cars does around 150 to 200 journeys
daily into town, but only around 50 or so come back from the town centre.
“The reason for less people coming back is due to the fact we are already
restricted on working from the town and the latest proposals will further
restrict us.”
Private hire cars are also prevented from using dedicated taxi lanes, which
allow Hackney carriages to take shortcuts through town.
The council’s proposals for new taxi ranks in the town centre has identified
four spots. Two part-time ranks will be on the south side of Friar Street
and east of the bus stop in Gun Street running from 11am to 5pm, and two
full-time ranks will be in place of disabled parking spaces in front of the
Minster in St Mary’s Butts and on the east side of Bridge Street.
In his letter of objection, Mr Hussain argued against all four sites because
they would take away key pick up and drop off spots for private hire cars
in some of the busiest areas of town.
He wrote: “There is nothing to show that doubling the town centre road
space reserved exclusively for black cabs only will get even one more cab
where passengers want to be.
“The proposals will, however, make it a great deal harder for us to pick up
our booked passengers where they want to be picked up.
“This is not in the best interests of the public, is a retrograde step and we
urge you to abandon this ill-considered set of proposals.”
Council spokeswoman Sarah Bishton said the changes were advertised in
the local press and on street notices, adding: “No objections were received
during the objection period.”
Source: Reading Evening Post
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