Taxi Driver Online

Clampdown on Glasgow drivers parking in taxi ranks

https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/174 ... axi-ranks/

ALMOST 300 parking tickets have been issued to drivers parking illegally on taxi ranks across the city.

A clampdown on unlawful parking has led to 291 penalties handed to vehicles spotted breaking the rules since early November.

The majority of tickets were issued to vehicles left on ranks across the city centre with Sauchiehall Street a particular hot spot.

But action was also taken at ranks on Queen Margaret Drive, Clarendon Place at St George’s Cross, Kilmarnock Road in Shawlands and Hardgate Road outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

oad regulations mean that only licensed taxi cabs can wait in these road spaces and tickets were issued against a range of vehicles, including private hire cars as well as privately owned cars.

Taxi drivers are urging the public to follow the highway code as a result.

Councillor Alex Wilson, chairman of the council’s licensing and regulatory committee, said the figures should serve as a clear warning to anyone taking a chance with parking on a taxi rank.

Mr Wilson said: “Taxis are key part of the city’s transport system and the ranks have an essential role in people being able hire a cab without advance booking.

“Anyone who parks on a rank without authority is snarling up the city’s transport system, creating road safety issues and making it harder for people to hire a cab.”

Over the last two years, 20 additional spaces have been brought into use on taxi ranks.

Taxi drivers say that members of the public should be more “considerate” to them.

Calum Anderson, chairman of the Glasgow CAB Section at Unite the Union, said: “I think everyone should observe the highway code. It is very inconsiderate for people to park in taxi ranks.

“It is hard enough to get into a taxi rank without someone else parking there.

“This situation is wholly unacceptable and is a risk to public health and safety. The problem is out of control – it is shambolic.”

We probably get over 300 a year issued on our friday rank and this is only a small town

Britain has too many cars without the parking infrastructure the government needs to prioritise car parks not more housing as there is no where for people to park

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

Sounds a lot for a small town, so you'd think the message would be getting through by now.

By the way, what do you mean by the 'Friday rank'?


Anyway, this is the other side of the enforcement coin in Glasgow. A bit micro-local this, but sure it's something most drivers can identify with

Taxi drivers complain Sauchiehall Street revamp is 'affecting night time trade'

https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/174 ... ime-trade/

GLASGOW’S Avenue Project has been criticised by taxi drivers who claim the project “affects their night time trade” with private vehicles parking on taxi ranks.

Drivers say bottlenecking on Sauchiehall Street is “causing pandemonium” as they are unable to reach a taxi rank and this could cause a “serious accident”.

Councillor Christy Mearns said it was “a price worth paying” if the Avenue Project would encourage active travel around the city but she would also look into how the situation could be improved for taxis.

The £115 million programme aims to improve the streetscape and benefit the public.

The new avenue aims to introduce green infrastructure, extend pedestrian space and reduce space for vehicles.

Pilot improvements between Sauchiehall Street and Rose Street began in January 2018 and are expected to be completed this year.

Over the next eight years further work will be taken across the city to improve street lighting features, reduce street clutter, introduce more trees and increase pedestrian and cycle space.

But taxi drivers say the problems will only get worse.

Calum Anderson, chairman of Unite the Union Glasgow CAB Section said: “We have concerns on how this will affect our night time economy.

“They are extending the pavements and planting trees. This leaves just enough rooms for taxis to get past the traffic. But it is bottlenecking traffic.

“We foresaw carnage ensuing in the early hours with several thousand revellers congregating in the area.

“Taxis are having difficulty getting near the rank outside The Garage as the vast majority of it is filled with private cars.

“It is already pandemonium. There is going to be a serious accident. It is a bigger problem at night because there are no parking attendants on duty. There is already evidence of the chaos the Avenues project is creating.

“In theory it is a great idea but in practice it is not. The chaos is only going to continue and increase trouble in the area.

“Unless the area has proper enforcement officers on duty it is not going to work.”

Councillor Christy Mearns added: “It is understandable there may be some knock on effect initially with all the changes which have come in.

“It is something we are working really hard on to make the streets more cycle friendly and encourage active travel. That is something the Avenue Project will do.

“It is about weighing up the good worth the bad. I do sympathise with the taxi drivers but we need to establish what we do from here. It is a price worth paying.”

A council spokesman said: “This is an issue we are aware of and we are monitoring this closely to ensure we provide appropriate enforcement action.

“Ranks are intended solely for taxis and unauthorised parking in ranks puts drivers at risk of being fined.

“We have been tackling unauthorised parking on ranks recently and there has been a particular focus on Sauchiehall Street.

“We will continue to work with partners to address this situation.”

By the way, what do you mean by the 'Friday rank'?

Friday is market day when the street on which our normal rank is filled with market stalls so we were moved to a site clear of the town centre but then the council decided to pave that over and erect the "monstrosity" so we were moved up to the bus station and then banned from there after the bus companies played up with the council and after 5 or 6 years with nowhere on a Friday we were given a section of street along from the market which is car parking 6 days a week but taxi rank on a Friday

Unfortunately this is inconvenient for shoppers so most of the cars unofficially rank up in the square but is very convenient for people nipping into town as the market also takes out the 200 free car parking spaces leaving only the pay car parks available so our Friday rank is all that's left of the free town centre car parking and when it gets busy mid morning and there are no taxis on it it fills with private cars

on an average Friday about 100 to 150 motorists are warned off by the taxi drivers but if there's none there they park and some park there anyway insisting that as there is no convenient parking nearby they have the right to abuse the rank

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