Taxi Driver Online

Airdrie to get taxi rank at last

Nov 5 2008 by Wendy Scott, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

AIRDRIE will at last have its own official taxi rank – after a 30-year fight.

Almost 2000 people, including Airdrie taxi drivers, wrote to North Lanarkshire Council protesting at the lack of a rank.

And at the council’s Corporate Services Committee last week members agreed to recommend the siting of a designated rank in Stirling Street.

This week Peter Gunn, chairman of Airdrie Taxis, Monklands District Taxi Trade and North Lanarkshire Taxi Trade, told the Advertiser: “It’s been a long, hard fight for 30 years and finally we will have a designated taxi rank.

“We are happy with the location to a certain extent, however, people travelling to Thrashbush and Craigneuk will find the fares a little bit extra as taxi drivers will have to go to the roundabout and turn round.

“We have also asked the council about the possibility of having another rank in the upper part of Stirling Street or Graham Street.”

The new rank could accommodate between six and 14 vehicles.

Taxi drivers have also been fighting for the same length of time to have an official rank at Airdrie Railway Station.

And the council are in talks with First ScotRail in a bid to allow a designated taxi rank in their car park for six taxis.

Peter said: “We have been trying to get a rank in the station car park for years and we hope a solution can be reached soon.”

Taxis have been using an unofficial rank in Bank Street which causes many problems and delays to other motorists.

Peter added: “Airdrie police and the local trade have an unofficial agreement as long as we don’t abuse it but unfortunately some of the guys do abuse it which creates problems and the public get up in arms about it. It’s not ideal but there is a demand from people who don’t have cars for a taxi rank in the town centre.”

The committee have asked that a review of provision of taxi ranks across North Lanarkshire be carried out.

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

Must have had the T&G in charge of the struggle.

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IDFIMH

Delighted to see Airdrie now has an official taxi rank - but is it in the right

Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

SIR - I was glad to see that North Lanarkshire Council have finally decided to site an official taxi rank in Airdrie.

I, however, believe that the old taxi rank at Hallcraig Street would have been the better choice, freeing up the already choked one way system. I imagine that the new rank is a compromise rather than an enforced best solution.

I first wrote to the Advertiser about this subject over two years ago, and this situation has dragged on for too long. The taxi drivers in general have not done themselves any favours, as around 2000 complaints will testify.

Having watched two or three taxis park in a space which could take up to five cars, and do so in such a manner as to block the area to other car users, only drawing forward when another taxi came in to view, while the police and traffic wardens did nothing, was nothing short of scandalous.

On numerous occasions I also witnessed taxi drivers being verbally abusive to people who had parked there, and I actually saw taxi drivers moving an elderly woman from where she was parked, telling her she couldn’t park there.

Taxi drivers must realise that other tax paying road users have as much right to use the roads as they do, and I hope that in future, should the need arise, North Lanarkshire Council move quicker to stamp out the bad attitude displayed by some taxi drivers.

Name and address supplied.

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

I don't think so.

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IDFIMH

Disagree with you there Sussex, if the rank is not legal the public can park where they like.
But if it properly marked out and the appropriate signage is in place the taxi drivers can ask them to move

I was thinking more about bus lanes and the like.

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IDFIMH

Shocked, saddened and disgusted by taxi letter
Nov 19 2008 Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

SIR - AS a retired taxi owner, I was shocked, saddened and disgusted by last week’s letter regarding taxi ranks in Airdrie.

The writer is perfectly correct that the situation has dragged on too long but it has been created by the council deliberately doing away with all of the public hire taxi ranks in Airdrie.

I wonder who (apart from private hire cars) can benefit from no taxi ranks in Airdrie. The council have not done Airdrie any favours.

The writer suggests re-opening Hallcraig Street’s taxi rank but since he and countless other motorists can’t be bothered to drive to that location and walk down to the town centre, how does he expect the elderly, pedestrians with several shopping bags, mums with buggies and young children to trail up a steep hill? Does the word selfish ring any bells?

The writer of last week’s letter must wear very expensive blinkers since, whilst watching the taxis in detail, he failed to notice, or has chosen to ignore, the motorists who park at the bus stop in Bank Street (a bookable traffic offence), forcing the buses to stop in the middle of the road to pick up and drop off passengers, stopping the traffic in the process.

While a small minority of drivers may be creating a problem in Bank Street, I would like to point out that public hire taxi drivers provide a valuable service to a very large number of people in Airdrie, from taking kids to and from school and adults to and from work, to picking up the elederly after their shopping.

This service is provided 24 hours a day, every day of the year by drivers, many of whom work long and unsociable hours.

Name and address supplied.

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

Thats quite well written for an Airdrie person.

I think the word you're looking for is Airdrieonian