BAN CARS SAYS TAXI BOSS
Call to make Sauchiehall Street no entry
A CALL to ban cars from one of the city’s busiest streets has been made.
Vehicles have been parking illegally in a cab rank and now a taxi boss has called for Sauchiehall Street to be a no entry zone for them.
Taxi drivers are facing disruption while roadworks are carried out and a car ban has been muted as a way to resolve it.
A TAXI boss has called for a temporary ban on cars, vans and lorries on one of Glasgow’s busiest streets.
Stephen Flynn, chairman of Glasgow Taxis, has insisted only cabs and buses should be allowed to drive on Sauchiehall Street while roadworks are ongoing to install cycle lanes.
He was speaking as taxi chiefs prepare for showdown talks with Glasgow City Council and Police Scotland amid growing anger over illegal parking in the area.
Motorists have been leaving their cars in a temporary taxi rank outside O’Neill’s pub on Sauchiehall Street.
Unite the Union have claimed that lax attitudes towards enforcement is costing cabbies and customers.
And Mr Flynn said: “We have made a request to the council that, while roadworks are ongoing around Sauchiehall Street and Elmbank Street, all other vehicles are removed from that area to allow safe passage for taxis and buses.
“In any case, private vehicles should not be parking in areas that are off limits to them.”
Waiting or parking in taxi stances is an offence under section 21(7) of the Civic Government Scotland Act. The temporary rank on Sauchiehall Street, which is marshalled, was set up to accommodate 10 taxis while improvement works are ongoing at the rank outside the Garage nightclub.
Steven Grant, secretary of Unite the Union’s Glasgow Cab Section, insisted taxi drivers are finding it “impossible” to access ranks at Sauchiehall Street, Union Street and Jamaica Street.
He said: “When Glasgow City Council are asked to do something, they point to safety concerns having parking attendants working beyond 6pm.
“This happens even though it is common to see them working later at major concerts and events held in the city.
“The police, depending on who you speak to, say it is a civil matter, or tell us to phone 101 as these illegally parked cars are causing an obstruction, which invariably gets no results.
“We really need either Glasgow City Council or police to enforce the rules around taxi stances, especially as licensing are currently consulting on a code of conduct for taxi drivers in order to tackle problems with over-ranking and illegal parking.”
Glasgow City Council acknowledged that problems have been ongoing at the Sauchiehall Street rank.
A spokesman said: “We are aware of issues affecting the operation of the temporary taxi rank on Sauchiehall Street.
“A multi-agency meeting involving various council teams, police and representatives from the taxi trade has already been arranged for next week.”