Plymouth cabbies force rethink on council's drop-off parking ban
TAXI drivers have persuaded Plymouth City Council to rethink parts of its ban on where they can drop off passengers.
Private hire drivers have been protesting against a crackdown by the council after they were hit with a string of fines of up to £70 for stopping on double yellow lines.
The drivers were caught by the council's new camera car, which recorded them stopping to drop or collect passengers in Old Town Street, New George Street, St Andrew's Cross roundabout, Royal Parade, Derry's Cross, Charles Street outside the northern entrance to the Drake Circus mall and Mutley Plain.
Plymouth City Council said fines were now issued automatically where parking rules were clearly broken.
After a meeting this week between council officers and taxi drivers, campaigner Andy Ash said: "We agreed on certain areas of the city which could be looked at again such as Derry's Cross and the Theatre Royal. One of our group was representing private buses and coaches which are also being ticketed.
A city council spokeswoman said: "Generally the meeting was very positively received and helped clarify to operators how existing traffic orders were now being enforced on key streets within the city centre for safety and congestion reasons.
"It also demonstrated that significant opportunity remains within the city centre to pick up and drop off passengers in a safe environment.
"We stressed that we will continue to operate a strict response to the areas of highest risk.
"However, through our ongoing review of on-street parking, loading and unloading restrictions we have agreed to take on board suggestions from the operators to changes to drop-off and pick-up points at key locations in the city centre."
Mr Ash said afterwards: "It was stated that the extra distances that the elderly and disabled would have to walk and carry their shopping would be a 'minor inconvenience' and that the minority would have to suffer for the good of the majority.
"We tried to get an open meeting where we could invite people who have been adversely affected by the camera car but were told this would serve no useful purpose. The private hire group gave the council some positive suggestions which they said they would look into.
"We will now have another meeting to decide our next course of action and some felt that if we had been consulted beforehand it would have saved a lot of controversy."
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