Taxi rank crackdown in Worcester

The council has vowed to get tough on problem parkers causing chaos in the city’s taxi ranks.

Worcester City Council said it will be stepping up patrols and handing out fines to drivers parking illegally and dangerously in and around the city centre’s taxi ranks following a wave of complaints.

Some of the city’s taxi drivers have been calling for extra patrols to put a stop to over-ranking and problematic parking and blamed the council for not patrolling ranks regularly and penalising drivers.

Long queues of taxis are regularly found spilling out of ranks in the city centre, including on busy routes such as Foregate Street, The Cross and Friar Street, creating problems for pedestrians, cyclists, buses, the emergency services and other drivers.

A total of 48 fines have so far been handed out in November, according to the council, including nine in one day during a sweeping patrol of the city centre’s taxi ranks.

Councillor Richard Udall, chair of the council’s licensing and environmental health committee, said illegal parkers had already had enough warnings and would now be facing the consequences.

“Residents and taxi drivers have been complaining for some time about obstructive and illegal parking in the city centre, especially around or adjacent to taxi ranks,” he said.

“We have previously issued a number of warnings and asked for co-operation, but unfortunately a tiny minority of drivers have continued to ignore our warnings.

“It only takes one or two badly parked cars to cause chaos and traffic disruption, they are a hazard to other road users including public transport and cyclists.

“It’s now time to get tough. If they continue to ignore the parking restrictions, they will face the consequences.

“The restrictions exist for good reasons, for public safety and we will not compromise on such an important issue.

“Our simple message is park legally or don’t park at all – move on and go elsewhere.”

Haris Saleem, vice chair of Worcester Taxi Drivers Association, said the council had not been doing enough to stamp out the parking problems in and around taxi ranks.

“I can’t defend any of the illegal parking,” he said. “Our advice to drivers is always park somewhere sensibly and do not overpark or block anything – especially when the streets are narrow.

“The problem is that there is not enough enforcement by the city council.

“A lot of taxi plates have been issued but there are not enough spaces for the taxis to stop or park.

“If they have got nowhere to go, where can they park?”