Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers threaten strike

Taxi drivers who say the town needs more ranks have again threatened to boycott Watford town centre. Hackney carriage drivers have been calling for the council to put more taxi ranks in the town centre.

However the issue came to a head last weekend when police started giving out fixed penalty notices to illegally parked cabs.

It is understood the latest dispute involving hackney carriage drivers started as cabs queued to get onto the taxi rank opposite The Colosseum, in Rickmansworth Road, at about midnight on Saturday, September 8.

As the cabbies queued along the main road waiting for the rank to clear, officers started handing out £30 fixed penalty notices to vehicles stopped on double yellow lines.

A small section of drivers then got out of their cabs and refused to pick up any more of the hundreds of late night revellers waiting to go home. The problem was quickly diffused but taxi drivers have said unless the number of taxi ranks in the town increases, they would opt for a premeditated strike.

Chairman of Watford's Hackney Carriage Drivers' Association, Shujait Sardar, said the problems stem from the fact they have nowhere else to go. He said: "There is only enough space for about nine cars there and obviously when there is a queue of people at the rank, the taxis start queueing up.

"Sometimes the police enforce it, sometimes they don't. "But I think they should realise there are a large number of people in town and for a few minutes on Friday and Saturdays I don't think it does any harm to turn a blind eye."

There are currently 25 spaces on taxi ranks in the town centre, with the Rickmansworth Road rank big enough to hold nine cars. However, there are now more than 200 taxis operating in Watford.

Watford Borough Council said it is looking into finding additional taxi ranks, possibly on the bottom floor of Gade car park. The car park is currently owned by Capital Shopping Centres, which runs The Harlequin shopping centre, but an agreement is not expected before Christmas, if at all.

However, the taxi drivers say unless something happens soon they will start to boycott Watford town centre.

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IDFIMH

So would the police prefer that drivers didn't park where the pi** heads need picking up from?

Would the prefer that the drivers stayed at home and let the police take the drunks home?

Absolute madness, the police have made themselves look bigger fools than most people already think they are.

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IDFIMH

I think you'll find that attitude from police up and down the country they don't like to see ranks overflowing and if the sargeant or inspector in charge of that shift decides to make it a priority well the plods have to do as they are told and leave the burglers and the drink drivers alone whilst they deal with far more important matters

Did they get the tickets canceled Sussex

I'm not sure they can.

The offence of parking on double yellows was committed, sadly trying to clear the scum from the streets at night would not count as a justifiable reason to cancel the ticket.

The only way forward is to stop them being issued in the first place.

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IDFIMH

Sussex most parking regs stop after a certain time normally 5.30pm for most towns, so i would check any signs around the area they where booked in

I think double yellow line are always double yellow lines, but single versions are adaptable.

I think.

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IDFIMH

Normally unless the sign says at any time the restriction finish at 5.30pm and restart at 8.30am

http://www.parking-appeals.gov.uk/RegAn ... ngRegu.asp

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IDFIMH

Most of our doubles only have restrictions during the day

I wonder if they had these problems before the free for all?

Probably.

And other problems as well.

Do you have these problems under London's free for all?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

We don't have a free for all Dusty.

We have the most stringent quality controls in the world, as you already know. That works quite nicely to keep the numbers in perspective, and ensure the end product will be the best in the world.

The Minicab have problems, but is'nt that the case when you allow unlimited amounts of drivers and vehicles on the road with no controls? The 'greedy plate owners' that keep you awake most nights, are replaced by 'greedy circuit owners' who take advantage of an abundance of cars.

Watfords quite a good example of no quality control, it's become a retirement home for all the old Fairways that were not converted before the 1st of July. Better service? or every Tom Dick and Harry that drove a PH wanting to become a Watford Taxi driver?

Of course the next natural step will be the massive import of East European drivers to fill the PH vacancies. Nice. Wonder when the first rape will be?

Well I'm inclined to agree with you

The thing is, when you spoke of "before the free for all", I think you were clearly alluding to the lifting of numerical controls, ie as per the scenario that has prevailed for years in London.

Quality control is a different matter entirely.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

The police are usually ok with over ranking at night.
As they want rid of the crowds.

During the day its a little different. But the only tickets issued are for parking on ranks when not in the cab.

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Unmet demand you're having a laugh