11 Feb 2008
Cabbies Risking Bus Users Lives
Inconsiderate taxi drivers are putting the safety of bus users in Derby city
centre at risk, it has been claimed.
Dozens of taxis have been seen illegally parking while waiting for fares at
the Victoria Street bus stop, near to the former Debenhams store.
Passengers are having to weave their way through taxis into the busy
road in order to reach the buses, which are forced to stop in the middle of
the road to pick people up.
One Arriva driver who called the Evening Telegraph said he feared the
problem could have fatal consequences.
The driver said: "It makes me angry these taxis are stopping there.
People are having to squeeze past the taxis to get to buses, which is so
dangerous. I care for my customers and this is outrageous - it is putting
them at risk."
The stop is used by several Arriva and Trent Barton services across Derby
and surrounding areas.
Taxis are supposed to keep the area clear until 11pm, when buses
services end for the day, and there is also an allocated bay for them to
stop at further along the road.
However, the driver said he had seen as many as ten taxis clogging up the
bay by early evening, forcing buses to take evasive action and park in the
middle of the road for users.
The driver said he had spoken with Arriva bosses and taxi licensing
representatives at the council but nothing had been done.
He said: "All it takes is one person or a child walking out in the road and
they will be risking injury - or worse. It's upsetting and infuriating for me
as a driver that people are having to put up with this."
Keith Myatt, communications manager with Arriva Midlands, said his
company had passed CCTV footage to Derby City Council and was holding
"regular" meetings to solve the problem.
He said: "Safety of our drivers and customers is of paramount importance,
so we want to solve this problem."
City council spokeswoman Carol Mee said private taxi services and the
300 taxis operated by the council had been reminded not to park in the
area and persistent offenders could be sacked.
"People will see yellow taxis and think they are doing it all the time, when
it could just be the same drivers," she said. "But if we get reports of any
drivers flouting the rules, we will have words with them."
But Shayad Mahmood, chairman of Derby Area Taxis Operators
Association, said he did not think there was an issue and claimed taxi
drivers had a verbal agreement with the city council to use bus stops
responsibly.
He said: "We shift a lot of people out of the city centre from that point in
Derby. And there is no point having taxis where there is no work for them.
"They might be parking there but it's not a major concern."
Source: Derby Evening Telegraph
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