Taxi Driver Online

Leeds and Bradford Airport taxi rank cost shock



Councillors are demanding to know more after the estimated cost of a taxi rank at Leeds-Bradford Airport increased more than ten-fold to £905,000.

Initial estimates for the scheme in Whitehouse Lane were about £80,000, with the taxi trade willing to contribute towards the cost.

Acting on the instructions of senior councillors, council officials drew up a detailed design layout for the rank, which was presented to the executive board last month – and which put the cost at £905,000.

Faced with forking out such a large sum at a time when the council is having to cut services, the board decided not to go ahead with the project.

Now the council’s regeneration scrutiny board is to examine how such a high cost was arrived at, with the figures being presented to its next meeting. In 2008, the airport let a contract to a private hire company and since then taxis have not been allowed to “rank up” on airport land.

Councillors have criticised the arrangement and pressed for a rank to be provided close to the airport, although council officers have questioned the suitability of allowing taxis to queue in Whitehouse Lane.

Coun Bernard Atha (Lab, Kirkstall) described the increase in the estimated cost as “breathtaking” and said the figures should be presented to the scrutiny board and, if necessary, forwarded to an independent engineer for assessment.

Coun Atha said: “How can such an enormous jump in costs be justified?

“I want to see a record of all discussions between the airport, officers and councillors. The airport is opposed to a rank but we represent the people, not the airport.”

Martin Farrington, the council’s acting director of city development, said the original estimate was based on a “desktop” costing which he acknowledged had been wrong “by a significant magnitude”.

The detailed design layout and costing given to the executive board said the rank would cost a minimum of £515,000 including professional fees and the diversion of public utility equipment. It said additional excavation and the disposal of contaminated materials could add a further £325,000, while optional landscaping and customer waiting facility costs would be £65,000.

source: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

FFS that an expensive tin of yellow paint

No thats someone trying to stop the rank being put in place by inflating the figures

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

I am sure that all airports and train stations and the like need some sort of licence to operate.
It is time that the govt required that as part of such licences to operate such places operators be required to provide
ancillary services like taxi ranks for the public.
I think there should also be such a requirement for any new hotels being built in any major city/town centre location.
It is also high time that local councils re install public toilets in such places (city/town centres) as well as this is a facility that we all need !