New Taxi Rank Chapel St / London St, Southport

An e-petition is now up and running on Sefton Council website regarding the proposal of a new taxi rank to be located between Chapel Street and London Street, Southport.

Please click link below to view details:

http://modgov.sefton.gov.uk/moderngo...stDisplay.aspx

We the undersigned petition the council to introduce a new 3 car Taxi Rank where Chapel Street meets London Street, including safety barriers for pedestrian safety and taxi rank sign posts down chapel street.

This ePetition runs from 01/02/2012 to 14/03/2012
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Thank you for putting up link to petition to save our parks :(

There is a taxi rank at the station and at Sainsburys so WHY do the Council think another one not 50 yards from a current one is needed.

To stop people from bringing their cars into southport.

So do they propose a taxi rank in the middle of a junction? They want it to be where Chapel Street meets London Street. By my reckoning that puts it somewhere in the middle of the traffic lights!! Move it away from the lights and as stated in a previous post, just yards from existing ranks.
Another waste of money from the council.

Originally Posted by Beau Nidle

There is a taxi rank at the station and at Sainsburys so WHY do the Council think another one not 50 yards from a current one is needed.

There are 271 Hackney carriages licensed in Sefton, and of those only 31 can ply for hire at Southport station. Taxis are required to pay for an annual permit to rank at the station which isn't an issue. The problem lies with the Southport Station Taxi Association who hold the contract (which never seems to go out through any tender process), will not allow any driver who wants to purchase a permit to do so thus creating a "closed shop". This has been an open wound between Hackney drivers for too long now and a taxi rank close to the station and Chapel St shops available to ALL Hackney carriages is long overdue.

The problem is with Merseyrail (who control the station) for enven having a contract in the first place. They are deliberately making it difficult for rail users to get home by limiting the number of cabs. They should have a private car freefone on the wall, like supermarkets do, by the carpark as well.

Originally Posted by Beau Nidle

There is a taxi rank at the station and at Sainsburys so WHY do the Council think another one not 50 yards from a current one is needed.

Isn't there also one just a few yards to the south, between the monument and the church gardens? Hell why not just make the whole of the town centre a taxi rank.

How do the bus drivers feel about it?
The 43/46 buses do have to take that corner quite wide; would the taxi rank affect them?
If it is only for 3 taxis as stated, it does seem a bit unnecessary with Sainsbury's and the station so close.

Before some people go on the usual anti Sefton rant, they should read both the article and the Sefton website.

This is an epetition, signed at the moment by five people, asking for the provision of the new taxi rank.

It is not a proposal by Sefton Council.

It has thus far not even been considered by Sefton Council.

The idea of epetitions is for a member of the public to make a certain proposal. That proposal then remains open for a fixed time on a website. At the expiry of that time the matter is referred, in this instance to Sefton Council, who doubtless will take into account people's views and opinions be they for or against the proposal.

Simples!

Merseyrail should open up the station to all hackney carriage vehicles then people would not need to wait so long and disabled people would be able to get a wheelchair accessible cab without having to phone up and wait so long.

I would be more than happy to sign this if taxi drivers in Southport gave the slightest consideration to other road users and didn't think they have some God given right to queue on Lord street to get to outside Sainsburys.

I dont think they can legaly queue to get on the rank. I might be wrong but I thought I read once that they can be fined for over ranking.

Originally Posted by Beau Nidle

There is a taxi rank at the station and at Sainsburys so WHY do the Council think another one not 50 yards from a current one is needed.

...Beau Nidle, sorry I think you have your facts wrong, it is not the Council who are proposing this

... agree with Greywolf, this town is becoming a complete taxi rank, those people in Highways need to keep a check on this, won't be anywhere for anyone else to park soon.

Some taxi ranks, like the one outside the Vincent Hotel is NEVER used, never seen a taxi in it ..... ever !!! space could be better used for something more useful, like pay and display or loading for shops.

Originally Posted by matlock

I dont think they can legaly queue to get on the rank. I might be wrong but I thought I read once that they can be fined for over ranking.

You're right but you get one or two gobshites who seem to think it's alright to wait on Lord Street for the rank to free up a space.

People should complain to the council and they will eventually send someone out who will have a word with the offending drivers.

It's not all taxi drivers who wait on Lords Street just a select one or two or five.

Surely this would mean taxi cabs would be parking on a T-junction which I thought was illegal? It would also make it difficult for cars turning right from London Street into Hoghton Street - the whole idea seems daft to me - if they want another taxi rank make it two-thirds of the way down London Street near to the Asda end?

There is a problem at the moment where elderly and or disabled people have difficulty to access the Sainsbury's, station and Lord st ranks. The council's area committee are proposing a change to one of the ranks at the next meeting however this will not help access to the taxi's for disabled or elderly.
When Chapel St was changed there was NO consideration for the elderly or disabled to access taxi's at either end of Chapel St.
The New Rank is aimed to be sighted not within the junction, but in a semi circular gap off the junction on the end of Chapel St where it meets London st.
Barriers are proposed to help the safety of pedestrians and customers entering the taxi's.
The cost of these changes are proposed to be born by the Taxi Trade.
The Taxi Trade is willing to work with the public, council employees and councilors from all the political parties to help make Southport a nicer place to live, work, shop and visit.
Where old Ranks are not being used anymore we are willing to come to agreements where by these ranks can be used for other uses.
For instance a Conservative councilor has asked if they can have more pay and display spaces for the public. The Taxi Trade are now looking at where possible Extra revenue from pay and display can be given to the council to help in these difficult times for us all.
This Small new rank is aimed to help people who are vulnerable and need help.
I hope you all give your support to it because you never know when you might need it.

Once again another excuse for Hackney drivers to cause mayhem on our streets they currently bloke Lord Street by Salisburys, Double park on Lord Street by the Main Rank at night, Rank up in Birkdale Village at night where there is no rank and illegally park on double yellows outside the station.

Surely instead of giving these drivers another Rank the council should be getting them to abide by the law and stop the over-ranking or causing traffic choas.

Mind you that is what happens when you have a Hackney driver on the council.

Say NO to this proposal.

The problem here isn't one of disabled or elderly access, it is basically a group of drivers trying to increase their income because these drivers are simply priced out of the market by the private hire companies (and with no access to the Station carpark (by far the busiest rank) these drivers have to take their chances on other, less busy ranks).

This in itself is a problem, as the private hire companies are all plying for the trade of private hire drivers so each firm squabbles over fares by them trying to keep them as low as possible. Currently the busiest firm in Southport at the moment is also the cheapest - so they have the most drivers - so the firm makes the most money from the "radio" hire etc...

This causes a unique situation in Southport, with this town being one of the cheapest places in the UK for taxis - hence the customers are getting a superb deal every time they take a taxi ride. For an average distance a single passenger can now get a taxi from door to door cheaper than getting public transport, which is a mad situation considering A. the cost of transport and B. the affluent nature of this town.

I could just imagine what would happen if the prices of taxis where brought in line with the rest of this country - there would be a public outcry and people would flock (perhaps for the better) on to public transport within a week.

Originally Posted by yellowdog

There are 271 Hackney carriages licensed in Sefton, .

271?

Who told you that?

I for one wont be signing that petition. Sick of taxis parking on and in the cycle lane down London St outside the station...though it is almost fun to stay on the lane and squeeze through the gap and clip their wing mirror with my elbow. Shouldnt be parked there, end of.

Originally Posted by Fawlty

271?

Who told you that?

Well if you know better, you tell me how many there is?

Originally Posted by OGUNQUIT

Say NO to this proposal.

I fully agree

Originally Posted by Wherestheremote

I for one wont be signing that petition. Sick of taxis parking on and in the cycle lane down London St outside the station...

It's been going on for a long time - very frustrating!

They would be far better off if given an overflow rank down the side of the pub in Anchor St.

Originally Posted by The PNP

It's been going on for a long time - very frustrating!

They would be far better off if given an overflow rank down the side of the pub in Anchor St.

Thats far to sensible an idea! Having one in a junction, causing an obstruction is far better :P

If they made the town centre more accessible for cars we wouldn't need as many taxis. They have got most of Lord Street as a taxi rank already.

Originally Posted by The PNP

IThey would be far better off if given an overflow rank down the side of the pub in Anchor St.

I hope you mean Wright Street. Anchor Street is already regularly blocked by blue badge holders parking on double yellow lines.

probably want to takeaway the couple Blue badge parking spaces when there is a taxi rank at the station just a few yards away, we don't really need more taxi parking getting in the way, Wright St isn't blocked up with blue badge holders either, they park there legally.

Originally Posted by Sir Knight

Wright St isn't blocked up with blue badge holders either, they park there legally.

.

Of course it is legal, but their parking there is regularly stopping the poor landlady of the pub getting her Brewery supplies through. It is too narrow a street for parking to be allowed, really.

btw I meant (as I posted originally) Anchor Street, not Wright Street. :-(