Taxi Driver Online

Taxi Drivers Pull Rank On The Menace Of Nuisance Parkers

22nd September 2008

Plans to officially enforce a taxi rank in Duke Street, St Austell, have been criticised by taxi drivers, who fight a daily battle with people who park in the stands.

They claim the plans to officially turn the taxi rank into a Hackney Carriage stand "will not make a difference."

Taxi drivers have become increasingly frustrated when they are unable to pick up customers in Duke Street because members of public have parked there.

The daily battle over the five stands has caused many drivers in the town to use alternative ranks.

Restormel Borough Council has proposed to officially appoint Hackney Carriage stands which will be operational 24 hours a day.

But one taxi driver, who did not want to be named, believes that the only way to stop cars parking in the Duke Street rank is to issue tickets.

The driver, who has been working in St Austell for 12 years, said: "It won't make any difference; we need a traffic warden making people pay for parking illegally."

"It's the only way to stop it. Traffic wardens come down here once in the morning and don't return for the rest of the day. There is hell up here sometimes."

"Only last week a man threatened to knock my teeth out when I asked him to move out of the rank so I could park."

"He was waiting for someone coming out of the shop, but it's not a waiting zone."

"We have been without a traffic warden for so long that they have got used to being able to park here. The other taxi drivers don't bother waiting here any more because they know it's just hassle."

Sarah Kent from Restormel Borough Council said: "Although the stand has been in place for a number of years it is unclear on what basis it was originally established."

"Legal advice was taken and the notices made in order to regularise the situation. There are no proposals to make changes to the stand."

Any representations or objections to the plans should be made in writing by Thursday, October 2 to Phil Browning, Licensing Services Manager, Restormel Borough Council, 39 Penwinnick Road, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 5DR.


Source; thisiscornwall.co.uk

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Brummie Cabbie.

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Another idiot council!!!

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.