Objections to new taxi ranks in Stevenage

PLANS to create two new taxi ranks in a high street have been met with objection.

Stevenage Borough Council (SBC) has received 37 letters opposing proposals to introduce new hackney carriage ranks in Stevenage Old Town's High Street.

One is planned for outside The White Lion, and the other for opposite Drapers Way.

A council report states that a rank currently provided outside The Standing Order in the High Street is not used by cab drivers because it is hidden, and they instead use the bus lay-by outside The White Lion. The report considers this a problem for buses and a safety issue for bus passengers.

The new ranks will each cater for six cabs and will operate from 9pm until 4am, Monday to Sunday.

The council claims the new ranks will help improve public safety because customers will not have to cross the road, and that they will help reduce private hire vehicles illegally plying for hire.

But there is significant objection to the plans. One resident said the proposal is "manifestly dangerous" as it would make turning into and out of Drapers Way more difficult. Other objections include that the proximity of the ranks to the zebra crossing is dangerous, that a bottleneck will be caused, and that crowds would be encouraged to stand in the road on both sides.

A member of the Stevenage Cab Trade Association has also objected to the proposals. He said: "Taxi drivers and the association were never invited to the planning stages. The trade has been ignored.

"There are 100 licensed hackney carriages in Stevenage and these small ranks will not accommodate many of them."

He also said the rank opposite Drapers Way will cause problems as people will want to park outside the off licence while the rank is in use.

A spokesman for SBC said: "We are awaiting a decision notice from our Herts Highways district manager.