City planners turn down two of three proposed taxi ranks
Dundee planners have knocked back proposals for two new taxi ranks in the city centre.
Published online : 01.07.11 @ 06.31pm
Sites near St Andrew's Cathedral in the Nethergate and at St Paul's Cathedral in High Street had been on the table for consideration.
But, due to a high number of objections, the local authority decided not to go ahead with them. Officials did, however, give a green light to a rank in Meadowside.
Stewart Spain, assistant engineer at the city council, said, "The proposed taxi rank clearway in Meadowside will proceed as no objections were received."
The decision to reject two of the ranks has come as a major disappointment for the Dundee Taxi Association (DTA). It has long argued that the city does not have enough taxi spaces and believes the problem has worsened as more people apply for their badge.
DTA chairman Graeme Stephen said, "The council have listened to people who don't drive a taxi. We have to sit somewhere and if that means there is no room at the taxi ranks then that is the council's problem, not the taxi drivers'.
"We are struggling to park, so if the public start to complain that the taxis are parked on double yellow lines then they have to hold themselves up to blame."
Fierce debate was ignited when it emerged taxi ranks were being proposed for prominent locations in High Street and Nethergate. Both sites attracted a large amount of objections from parishioners, and even Bishop Vincent Logan of St Andrew's Cathedral, who expressed concern that late-night revellers gathered in a single area could lead to littering and even vandalism of church property.
These fears were dismissed by the DTA, which said scores of pub-goers already spill out on to the street come closing time.
DTA secretary and taxi driver Tony Waters said, "Having no rank, we feel, would encourage people to gather and therefore the risk of disturbances and vandalism would be greater. The DCA area and the G Casino have become Dundee's busiest places and both should have taxi ranks."
The Nethergate rank, it was proposed, would only be allowed to operate between 11pm and 6am outside the cathedral. In contrast, permission was being sought for the High Street rank to operate over 24 hours.
Andrew McBride, a parishioner at St Andrew's Cathedral, was against the creation of both ranks and said the council's decision came as a "great relief."
"I really think the planners got this badly wrong in so many ways," said Mr McBride, who is also chairman of the West End Community Council. "The proposals were wrong, the consultation was ill thought out and the information they put on public display was wholly incorrect and utterly misleading, resulting in unnecessary worry.
"I do have some sympathy for the taxi drivers, however, and would encourage them to use the area already designated as a taxi rank at the foot of South Tay Street."
West End councillor Richard McCready backed the decision, saying he had been inundated with people voicing their concern during the consultation period.
"I am glad it appears that the council has listened to what local people were saying," said Mr McCready. "I have been promised a further briefing from officers of the council about the matter and I will be looking to see what can be done to meet the needs of both parishioners of St Andrew's Cathedral and those looking for taxis in the cultural quarter."
Source; http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Dundee ... ranks.html
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