Claim taxi firm refused job as it was near stadium
Areas can be nogo zone: firm
PEOPLE need to be aware traffic jams, aggressive passengers and people jumping into cars after large events at Forsyth Barr Stadium can mean the area and the nearby student area are sometimes a nogo zone for taxi drivers, a taxi company says.
Brockville resthome resident Jenny Green said she tried to book a taxi from the University Staff Club after a National Council of Women function in March, but taxi company Nab a Cab refused to go anywhere near the stadium.
A Highlanders game had recently finished, and the Cancer Society’s Relay For Life was also being held that night at the nearby Caledonian Ground. It was also St Patrick’s Day. Ms Green said she explained repeatedly she was not at the stadium. She ended up getting a ride home with another person who had gone to the function at the University Staff Club.
A friend of hers had had a similar experience after a large event at the stadium, and ended up having to walk home through broken glass after the taxi she had ordered did not arrive, she said.
‘‘No taxi came. She waited and waited, and ended up having to walk.’’
Her friend had not told her the name of the taxi company.
A Nab a Cab spokesman said there was no policy about not collecting passengers in and around the stadium area when big events were on.
Sometimes out of necessity drivers might avoid the stadium and surrounding area, such as the lower part of Albany St, just after an event had finished.
‘‘The traffic’s so congested,’’ he said.
In the past there had been arguments with customers who did not want to pay $20 to go three blocks because the traffic was so heavy, and on a couple of occasions there had been ‘‘close calls’’ when drivers had almost been assaulted by angry passengers because of the fare.
Drivers also sometimes avoided parts of the student area— for instance Castle St— because of glass on the road.
He did not understand why Ms Green had not been picked up from the university campus on the night in question, but thought there must have been a reason she was unaware of.
He was looking into what had happened, he said.
Dunedin Taxis board chair man Dean Winton said he understood drivers’ frustration with the ‘‘backlog of traffic’’, which made it hard to get into or out of the stadium area.
Green Cabs general manager Rob Wheeler said after a ‘‘huge event’’ it was impossible to find the right person at the stadium, so Green Cabs sometimes did not accept prebookings.
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd marketing and communications manager Kim Barnes said there would always be delays in the vicinity of the stadium straight after an event because of the number of patrons.
The stadium encouraged fans to use free shuttles if they were operating or arrange to be dropped off.
The venue had an extensive traffic management plan for every major event, as patron safety was paramount, she said.
The Nab a Cab spokesman also said there had been issues with people taking taxis at the stadium they had not ordered, and drivers had to lock their doors to prevent people getting into taxis.
However, Corporate Cabs South Island operations manager Gerard Gibb said his taxis were predominantly prebooked and used the designated pickup and dropoff points, and he had had no ‘‘significant issues’’ near the stadium.