Taxi Driver Online

Nightclub provides marshal to ease rows at taxi rank

10:00am Wednesday 31st March 2010

A club owner has answered calls to help tackle the “war zone” of Colchester’s taxi ranks late at night.

Paul Ryan, manager of Liquid/Envy nightclub, in High Street, will allocate one of his door staff as a taxi marshal and may provide more in the future.

Last week, Tony Saunders, chairman of Colchester Hackney Carriage Association, called for marshals to be deployed at the High Street rank on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr Saunders claimed rowdy revellers were making it increasingly dangerous for drivers, and warned it would not be long before someone got hurt.

Responding to the concerns, Mr Ryan said: “As from last Friday, between midnight and 3am, we have put a taxi marshal there at our expense.

“I know there’s a generalisation that people come into pubs, clubs and bars, drink too much and get thrown out onto the street.

“If there’s going to be a taxi rank in town, wherever it is, there will be people gravitating towards it.

“The rank is opposite the front door of the club. We don’t want to be associated with the bun-fights going on and have no control.”

The company, which provides security at the club, is also going to take part in an accreditation scheme offered by the police, which will see it given greater powers to avert trouble at the rank.

Liquid’s licensing conditions currently require the club to pay towards the NightBus, a free bus which runs around the town to take revellers home.

Mr Ryan is hoping the club’s licence will be reviewed, allowing him to spend the money on marshals and by supporting the SOS Bus, which offers a safe haven for drunk, injured, or vulnerable people.

He added: “The SOS Bus is critical for the town. It takes pressure off the accident and emergency department.

“We would rather give contributions to that and have accredited people out on the streets, than fund the NightBus which no one really uses.”

Licensees funding the marshals will be discussed at tomorrow’s Pub and ClubWatch meeting in the town.

Source; gazette-news.co.uk

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Couple of things.

His club is why the folks are in the state they are i.e. p**sed up and ready for a ruck, so it's right that he meets the bill for the marshals. IN my view it should be written in law.

Quite how that free bus helps A&E I know not, but clearly the council and the club owner has been mugged by the bus company.

All that happens with these buses is that the trouble happens away from where the police are. A&E still get them.

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IDFIMH

I'd say spot on Sussex...... It's just a shame that this British "disease" seems to happen across the land

I could be wrong and it wouldn't be the first time, but I seem to think it is illegal to sell alcohol to somebody if they're already drunk. Perhaps if the licencing enforcement did their job and ensured the club followed more than one of it's conditions things would be better for everybody

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I think you're right, but how many bar staff adhere to those rules?

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

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Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

And what about the drugs which mysteriously get past the "strict" control on the doors of these clubs many of which can cause aggression perhaps stricter control of that might also help solve the problem

A lot more would if the enforcement team did what they are supposed to. Having said that they don't enforce taxis & ph properly either

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

It is.
It's also the most broken law in the land

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

"None", they just sell them more.