Reversal of key city road ‘could cause traffic chaos’
TAXI bosses fear a single crash could grind Birmingham city centre to a halt after changes to a key route.
It may only be 150-yards long, but the one-way system on one stretch of road in the city centre has been switched, with traffic now heading in the opposite direction.
The council has permanently reversed the flow on upper Hill Street as well as blocking the end off where it meets New Street.
But the move, which has been made to facilitate the Midland Metro extension across the top end of New Street close to where it meets higher Hill Street, will bring Christmas chaos according to a leading black cab taxi boss.
Black cabs make U-turns to currently park on both sides of Navigation Street near the exit of New Street Station – but they and other drivers can now only use two routes out of the area instead of three.
TOA Taxis’ chairman Manawar Hussain feared that one traffic incident will bring the city to a halt.
“Birmingham needs to have a better traffic management system in place to make traffic flow freely because the city council is making life difficult for everyone and that is going to affect the economy,” he said.
Meanwhile, diplomats with a “D” or an “X” in the middle of their num- ber plate can breathe easy if they need parking. A space has been created especially for diplomatic vehicles in Hill Street.
The bay even has its own blue “P” sign, which says “Diplomatic Vehicles Only”.
The two nearest consular offices in the city are home to those who could probably afford to pay more than most – France and the Principality of Monaco.
New parking bays have been created on Hill Street to replace ones lost on nearby Brunel Street, where the Megabus now stops.
A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: “The space at the bottom of Hill Street marked ‘diplomatic vehicles only’ is for use by a nearby consulate – there are several in the area.
“It was previously at the bottom of Brunel Street, where it was marked ‘permit holders only’.
“This was because we previously didn’t have the authority to designate diplomatic spaces – only London did. But we do now, so when the space was relocated, the markings were changed accordingly.
“The current arrangements with Hill Street and Brunel Street will remain in place on a permanent basis once the Metro extension is completed.”