Taxi Driver Online

Taxi rank problems stopping investment


A DUMFRIES transport boss won’t spend cash on disabled cabs until the town’s taxi rank is sorted.

Maxis Taxis owner Scott Maxwell has three disability vehicles and claims he is ready and willing to invest in many more.

But he thinks the town’s main taxi rank on Munches Street isn’t fit for purpose as it’s on the wrong side of the street for disabled people.

He said: “I am totally in favour of disability access vehicles, and it’s an issue close to my heart. But disabled people don’t go to the Munches Street rank. It’s a busy road on a bus route and the rank is on the wrong side of the road.

“Disability vehicles are built to pick disabled people up at the passenger side, and the rank on Munches Street doesn’t allow that.”

And that’s not all that’s wrong according the taxi boss – the rank isn’t big enough either.

He added: “The existing rank really isn’t fit for purpose and it only holds eight cabs.

“Some disabled access vehicles load at the rear, so there isn’t enough room left for disabled passengers to get in them.”

Mr Maxwell told the Standard that he had raised these concerns with the council but so far nothing had been done to resolve the problem.

He added: “It costs £30,000 per vehicle, so it’s a big investment, which I’m prepared to make if something is done about the ranks.

“I’m not in favour of more licences being handed out because it would affect businesses that have been up and running for years, but I’m prepared to upgrade my taxis.”

He also claimed it wasn’t as big a problem as some have recently made out, and that for every 5,000 cab calls they get, only around four or five are looking for wheelchair accessible vehicles.

His company has two Hackney plate taxis for the disabled, which can use the town’s rank, and one private hire cab which can only be used by pre-booking.

A council spokeswoman said: “Taxi and private hire operators in Dumfries and Galloway will soon have the opportunity to air their views about taxi fare structures and other matters such rank locations at three meetings across the region in Stranraer, Dumfries and Annan.

“Operators, the police, council officers and representatives from Dumfries and Galloway Disability Access Panel and Accessibility Transport Forum have been invited to attend the October meetings.

“When considering the location of taxi ranks, consultation must take place and the eventual solution must take into account the needs of all road and street users.

“The location must form part of an integrated transport system.”