Taxi Driver Online

400 sign a petition opposing taxi rank



CAMPAIGNERS have collected more than 400 signatures against plans to turn disabled parking spaces into a taxi rank.

Campaigners, who include Worcestershire Pensioners Action Group, oppose a plan to replace 11 disabled bays in St Swithin’s Street with an eight-bay taxi rank.

As part of the plan, Worcester City Council will create six disabled bays outside Lloyds Bank in the Cross. Disabled pass holders can park on the existing yellow lines for a limited period only but the council says this will formalise that arrangement and offer “unlimited parking”.

The council also wants four new disabled spaces in the Cornmarket and an extra space in the Trinity.

The council says the changes will mean a net increase of three extra spaces but Brian Hunt, vice-chairman of the action group, said it was a net loss as the disabled could already park on double yellow lines for a limited time.

He said: “We have not had one person who has verbally supported the council’s plans. This idea has no popular support at all. There has been a lot of anger from people.

“For all the people who knock the blue badge holders, every one of them I know would swap their badge for somebody else’s health. It’s about time some people saw that. The council can’t solve the illegal parking of the taxis, so they’re hitting out at the soft touch – the disabled.”

Mr Hunt said campaigners had not ruled out a legal challenge to the “disgraceful” plans or referring the matter to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and the Local Government Ombudsman.

A council spokesman said: “In St Swithin’s Street there has been a long-running problem with taxis blocking loading bays which traders need to operate their businesses.

“The taxi rank at the Cross is the city’s most popular with the public and has insufficient spaces for the number of taxis using it. Hence the need for more rank space and the new arrangements for St Swithin’s Street.”

She also said that all but one of the council’s car parks now had disabled bays and taxis were used by the elderly, frail and disabled.

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/

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

And have the local trade compiled their own petition in favour?

I wonder.

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IDFIMH

They're hardly a soft touch, they lobby at the drop of hat ffs.



Why is the first option always threats and seldom compromise



Taxi drivers need ranks to operate their business

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

6 parking bays and they want to refer it to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and the Local Government Ombudsman??

I await the comment "this isn't 100 miles away from what Adolf Hitler would have done, I fought and died in the war to stop things like this happening".

CC

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

Brian Hunt?

Is a .........