Taxi Driver Online

this is just one rank, this has started the ball rolling, waiting now for other ranks to be curfewed by the local residents in the city

Hours cut at city taxi rank
By Gavin Aitchison
A TAXI rank in York city centre is to have its hours slashed, in an attempt to cut down on late-night antisocial behaviour.

City of York Council is reducing the operating hours of the Duncombe Place rank by more than a third, in response to lobbying by local residents, businesses and the police.

Previously, taxis have used the rank around the clock, but they will now be restricted to the hours of 7.30am to 10pm each day.

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The move has been welcomed by David Brooks, general manager at the nearby Dean Court Hotel, but was slammed by York Taxi Association secretary Alan Rowley, who said the problems were being caused by youths gathering at the nearby Boer War memorial.

Mr Rowley said: "I'm lost for words. Moving the taxi queue will do nothing. Let's look in three months - the antisocial behaviour will still be there."

He said the area had been made a no-drinking zone, but was not being adequately policed.

He said reducing the rank's hours was "bizarre", and added: "It's like trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing gum - it's not going to work."

But Mr Brooks said the groups of youths were being used as a red herring, and said he was "absolutely thrilled" by the council's decision.

He said: "The taxi rank has always been a catalyst for gatherings of people who have been out enjoying themselves - and why not? But, needless to say in a residential area, a taxi rank creates noise."

He said City of York Council, Safer York Partnership and the police had helped reduce the problems caused by youths on the war memorial.

He added: "To be frank, those crowds were never there much later than 10pm. You can have 15 to 20 of the most well-behaved people in the country, but that's not going to stop them chatting loudly while waiting for a taxi."

A council spokeswoman said: "We have been aware that the 24-hour taxi rank caused some disruption to local residents and hotels for some time.

"However, the problem has been exacerbated by an increase in the number of people using the rank late at night as a result of the extended licensing hours.

"We hope that the new operating hours will reduce any night time disturbance.

"We have consulted on this proposal, all representations have been considered and approval has now given."

She said signs and road markings would be updated before the hours changed.

But Mr Rowley said: "Who's going to read a notice in the dark that says this rank is not open? It will cause more confusion, because taxis will go past and there will be shouting."


City's curfew' on night economy

THIS is the second time in a fortnight that council bosses have taken action over York's "night-time economy".

Last week, councillors agreed to a set of restrictions on pavement cafés, which will prevent them operating before 10am or after 8pm.

That move has been brought in on a temporary basis only at present. The proposals had sparked condemnation from café and bar owners.

Andy Knights, owner of Dusk, in New Street, said: "I would have a nightmare if they shut it at night. I have nowhere to put outdoor furniture inside, so I would have to consider losing my outside entirely. A ban on new applications is one thing, but to take away something which is already there is so unfair."

Yet another nail in the coffin, where do they draw the line

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

em gettin tired o saying this....ITZ TIME 4 A NATIONAL STRIKE ! stick 2gether and see the cause thro...local and central government will buckle..we are the backbone of the nation's conveyance sector and nobody catches trains or planes or appointments or gets 2 where their going without us...we're the machine ! and wot happens if u don't look after machinery ??? it stops workin !!!

National strike. Good one Trotski. Viva La Revolution.

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Grandad,

A National strike won't happen unless there was a major piece of government legislation which universally riled the trade most problems are local and even at a local level there is little agreement on such action !

So its 2 mins past 10 o clock, officially the rank has closed, Council orders, a pile of punters stand waiting for a cab at the closed rank, they do not read the time when the rank closed

now whats the score, do you drive by and hope to get a flagger walking up to the rank, to which they are not going to flag cos they see the taxi punter queue

you can't stop at the rank its closed, unless someone on the closed rank sticks their hand out, their not going to stick their hands out to flag as they know its a taxi rank, taxis come there, they have done since time stood still

Lets put up an example

you drive up to the rank and see a disable person in a wheel chair, you want to pick up that person, but hey the rank is closed, do you say to them sorry the Council have closed this rank and its over the time limit, I can't pick you up and drive off??????????

we have a byelaw No9a, allowing us to ply for hire anywhere in the city, free from ranks in the evening hours [thats all it says]

what does this mean, does it mean we have to cruise or can we sit and ply in any street??, forget about double yellows, as every road/street has got double yellows, and there is no night time enforcement

If I sat on a closed taxi rank, which then becomes just an ordinary street using byelaw 9a, what criminal charge could be brought in a court of law if I was caught picking up after rank had close down for the night

no hack would be able 2 pick them up coz someone in the Q phoned the nearest PH office and got the entire fleet 2 meet them roond the corner !!!

I would imagine they will all stick their hands out, especially if a few cabs go past empty. And once the hand is out then that pick up point is as good as anywhere else.

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IDFIMH

A taxi rank is a space that has been designated for the sole use of hackney cabs, it can be a daytime rank, it can be a night-time rank, it can be a twentyfour hour rank, which means no one else but a Hackney can park there, the removal of ranks status means that that section of road goes back to the conditions that apply normally , if there are yellow lines then nobody can park there, if there are no yellow lines then anybody can park there, the obvious question is ( are there any yellow lines there now or anything to stop you parking)....

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

The problem is that most councils now operate under Decriminalised Parking legislation and Enforcement of Taxi rank parking is down to Traffic wardens.

Regards

JD

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Copyright notice © The contents of this post are copyright of JD and are not to be reproduced outside of TDO without written permission.

Most efficient way to deal with the situation, but our enforcement officers are also empowered to issue the same tickets,

It still boils down to what conditions apply to the road it was on.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

No yellow lines at the moment but bet you the Council can find a few quid now tho, to please the Hotel manager [they have always said they had no money before to paint yellow lines on the taxi rank over the years we have been asking]

I have heard that this matter was brought up at an earlier Taxi Asssociation meeting, it was only brought up by a question from a driver who was concerned about the rank time closure, it wasn't on the agender, The Taxi Association consists of an element of Stn Taxis who chaired the meeting

his only words about the matter from the chair was, re rank closing time, we have to be careful, we can't upset the council can we, they could dereg anytime

Well folks, have discussed this with my wife this weekend

This job was a pleasure a few years ago to go out, to earn and to banter with other drivers, but not anymore, some of these new taxi drivers who have come into the job accept things as they are and as they are told and won't challenge anything, all they see is the £ signs on the meter,
Stn Taxis has sqeezed and taken the Stn rank for themselves, and limited who works there, that leave 2 main ranks to work, 20 odd spaces for 150 cabs, I don't do night clubs ranks

The Council got away with removing the rank outside the stn, but promised another in tea room square next to the stn [council land] but it was never to be, and now they are resticting another rank, wait while the residents of "Muggers Alley" [St Savourgate rank] have a meeting, they have now got the ammo now to stop that taxi rank, thanks to the hotel manager, they will stop the thundering cabs going up that alley keeping the residents awake alnight in the early hours

The Council keep taking your money and don't give a damm about taxi drivers, but listen to others such as Hotel Managers and disregard Taxi associations advice

well fook em, had enough, plate up for sale, plenty of Turk food bars looking for a taxi plates had 3 offers so far this week, and they know the price, but no one yet come with the cash, early days, and it ain't been advertised as yet to the full public
offers in the region of 60 grand

Sussex, do you want to come and work in York???, do you a deal my friend

Far to cold up there fella, but thanks for the kind offer.

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IDFIMH

Its gonna be around 18 degrees in Gateshead on Wednesday .............. so there is no excuse.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Yeah 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

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IDFIMH