A leading figure in Dundee’s taxi industry has hit out at new arrangements to pick up city centre revellers at weekends.
Inspector Gordon Taylor acknowledged that while some improvements could be made, they were co-operating with taxi drivers to help make the new arrangements work.
He said, “Obviously, in conjunction with the taxi association and the council, we are looking to find a long-term solution.
“There were minor teething issues, but drivers that predominantly come out at the weekend were diverted to the temporary ranks. There are still some issues to resolve, but the council have erected signs directing people to the new rank.
“We’re all trying to work together and to make people aware of the new arrangements.”
Graeme Stephen, head of the Dundee Taxi Association, believes more needs to be done to direct partygoers to waiting cabs, after a new rank was designated on Hawkhill.
It comes after a recent crackdown by police on taxi drivers who had been picking up fares outside the G Casino on Marketgait, where no vehicles are allowed to stop.
The new rank was established following discussions between the taxi association and Tayside Police, ending a feud that had seen a number of drivers boycott the city centre over the Easter weekend.
However, following the first weekend of the new arrangement, Mr Stephen was blunt in his summary of how things had gone.
He told The Courier, “More needs to be done to make it work. The word I would use to describe the signage is atrocious.
“The council have put a pole up in the perfect place, but the sign is far too small so nobody knows where we are waiting.
“I know the police cannot be in the area 24/7, but at times there were taxis sitting where they were supposed to be and a few would be a bit fly by parking up at the front door of the casino.”
Mr Stephen, whose organisation represents a number of cabbies in the city, insists the majority of taxi drivers had done everything possible to make the new measures work.
However, he intends to suggest temporary fencing be installed outside the G Casino in a bid to raise awareness of the new rank and resolve police concerns over public safety.Silver bulletClaiming such a fence would prevent revellers from crossing the Marketgait, stop taxis from picking up customers in a restricted area and highlight the location of the new rank, Mr Stephen believes the relatively simple idea could be the silver bullet to resolve the problem.
“Until there is a permanent solution, I believe that this would stop people from crossing the carriageway,” he said.
“The majority of the drivers are trying to use the new rank, as they should, but even then I have noticed some of them giving up. The police tried to do a fair bit at the weekend, but it’s busy at the weekend and they cannot have people there all of the time.
“Having some fencing would do the trick.”
Tayside Police admitted there had been some teething problems at the weekend, but remained optimistic solutions could be found.
Continued…