Taxi Driver Online

'What are they thinking?' - angry taxi drivers threaten to blockade part of Blackburn town centre


CAB drivers are threatening to blockade part of Blackburn town centre over plans to scrap a taxi rank.

Taxi drivers boss Mohammed Younis has called on the council to abandon the plans to get rid of the zone in Church Street, outside Blackburn Market.

He has warned that if the borough presses ahead with proposals to remove the four bays his members are ready to mount a cab protest blockade on the highway.

The four vehicle rank was introduced in 2011 when the new market under The Mall opened.

Now town hall bosses have indicated they are considering removing it after new ranks are brought in on Railway Road and one in Ainsworth Street near the Post Office.

But the drivers fear both are too far away from the market for their older and disabled customers, one of the staples of their town centre trade.

Malcolm Marsden, of Whittakers Butchers in the market hall, backs their concerns saying: “What are they thinking?”

Mr Younis, who chairs the Blackburn with Darwen Taxi Drivers Association and has been a driver in the borough for 40 years, said: “We accept this was a temporary measure when the market opened but it has proved its worth.

“It needs to be retained not just for us but for our many elderly and disabled customers.

“The new ranks proposed on Railway Road and at the top of end of the new bus station on Ainsworth Street are too far away for many of our passengers to get to easily.

“We are happy to see it cut to two bays or possibly introduce a new vehicle rank in the layby at the town centre end of the bus station at the junction of Salford and Railway Road.

“My members are very, very angry about this and are talking about mounting a cab blockade on Church Street outside the market if the council insists on going ahead.

“We are in discussions with the council and hope they will come to compromise as they did over a new points system for vehicle safety and maintenance.

“It’s not just about our income but about the needs of our older passengers and those customer who have mobility problems.”

Blackburn with Darwen highways boss Phil Riley promised to postpone any implementation until the impact of the new bus station opening, scheduled for May 1, had been assessed.

Mr Marsden said: “Of course this rank should stay in view of the number of older people who use this market.

“They can’t walk any further with bags of shopping.”

Cllr Riley said: “We are still in discussions with the drivers.

“We will not implement any changes to the current ranks until the impact of the new bus station and other improvements to the town centre on footfall and traffic have been assessed.”

source: http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/ ... wn_centre/

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

“The new ranks proposed on Railway Road and at the top of end of the new bus station on Ainsworth Street are too far away for many of our passengers to get to easily.

which is probably why the council are doing it to "persuade" people to use buses instead the bus companies tend to have a hold over most councils and don't like taxis being conveniently located

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector