Taxi driver ‘losing money’ due to traffic light works at rank

DUNDEE: Large section of space at Steeple Church out of action causing grief among city operators

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It’s like they don’t care about taxi drivers. RAYMOND NOBLE

A taxi driver has blasted Tayside Contracts for dumping bricks on one of Dundee’s busiest ranks.

Raymond Noble was left aghast when a large section of the space at Steeple Church was blocked and said he and fellow cabbies were losing money while it was out of action.

A Tayside Contracts team are working on nearby traffic lights and have placed cones around a stretch of the taxi rank while they dump stone and grit.

Mr Noble, who has been a cab driver in the city for 15 years, said space for around five cars had been lost as a result of the work.

The 60-year old, who is self-employed, said he was losing wages because he is struggling to get a spot at Nethergate.

He claims there was no consultation before the work began. He became aware of it on Monday and the work is scheduled to be finished by tomorrow.

Mr Noble said: “I am losing money, it’s as simple as that.

“I am just a street car and don’t pick up jobs through a radio, so I am being really hit hard.

“I’ve been left driving around trying to find a space.

“When I can’t get in at the Steeple Church I try to get near the bus station on Seagate, but I normally have to wait 90 minutes longer than usual to get a job there.

“It’s not the first time this has happened, where works start without us being told. It’s like they don’t care about taxi drivers, or they just don’t think about us as much when deciding things.

“It’s a bad time of the year anyway for business, but this makes it even worse. I am angry about it.”

Graeme Stephen, chairman of the Dundee Taxi Association, said: “As far as I am aware we weren’t notified of anything there before the work started.

“If it was emergency work needing done like a gas pipe then we wouldn’t normally get notification, but I went past that rank earlier and it appears to be just for traffic lights.

“The taxis always seem to suffer when they take away space on the roads for work. They never get any extra at the front or anything like that.”

A Dundee City Council spokeswoman said: “We are upgrading the pedestrian crossing in the Nethergate.

“This work is due to be completed by Friday. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Picture: Kim Cessford. Driver Raymond Noble at the Steeple Church taxi rank.