Brighton station cabbies get booted out

[Edders23]

from Brighton Argus

After years of campaigning by residents, the Brighton Station taxi rank is finally to move to the back of the station.

People living in Surrey Street, where taxis sometimes queue to get into the rank, have been asking for it to be moved from the front of the station for some years now.

In 2015, the city council announced it would be trialling a move to Terminus Road – but this was scrapped within days following protests from the taxi trade.

But today, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which owns the station, announced it was moving to the back from November 11 – and again, taxi drivers are furious.

GTR’s Lead Facilities Manager Karl McCormack said: “With over 16.5 million passengers using Brighton station every year and increasing visitor numbers to Brighton, the current taxi rank has outgrown the southern entrance – with queuing along Junction Road and Surrey Street now a regular occurrence.

“We have received many representations over a number of years about this issue.

“In response to comments from residents, the local authority and local MPs, we have listened.....

So they issue too many permits the drivers end up queueing out into the street and hey presto after being there for over 100 years the cabbies are shunted to the back of the station to make room for the buses

 

[Hophead]

No change to bus stopping arrangements that I'm aware of. The current rank is pretty much adjacent to the concourse and underneath the canopy. Obviously convenient, but something of an obstacle course and there's a constant stream of traffic in and out. The new location is certainly going to lead to longer (and thus more expensive) trips for anybody heading direct to the city centre or Montpelier. Despite GTR's claims, though, I do wonder how the new rank will cope when replacement buses are also in place.

 

[Edders23]

similar things happen to the taxi trade up and down the country what the council want is for people to use the buses instead of taxis and this move will make the buses far more convenient

 

[duffield]

similar things happen to the taxi trade up and down the country what the council want is for people to use the buses instead of taxis and this move will make the buses far more convenient

As you say, this has happened at many stations - and it frankly sucks for disabled people who are not disabled enough to use a wheelchair, like my late wife. At nearly all stations she could get to the traditional taxi rank position without too much difficulty, but getting to the relocated ranks was often very painful and difficult for her. This doesn't even seem to be considered.

 

[richa2002]

similar things happen to the taxi trade up and down the country what the council want is for people to use the buses instead of taxis and this move will make the buses far more convenient

This is all well and good but with heavy luggage, even a short walk from a bus stop can be arduous, and sometimes there simply isn't a bus route to where you want to go. All this does is make catching the train even less appealing and going in the car more so.

 

[bengley]

Good. The taxi rank at Brighton is awful, full of fumes and taxi drivers often fail to allow pedestrians to cross the 'shared space' approach to the station.

 

[Edders23]

Good. The taxi rank at Brighton is awful, full of fumes and taxi drivers often fail to allow pedestrians to cross the 'shared space' approach to the station.

I believe this was the result of many complaints including queueing taxis blocking a road junction the problem may now be that Uber will try and occupy the space as the Local hackneys are now going to be where Uber used to load punters

 

[MarkyT]

Good. The taxi rank at Brighton is awful, full of fumes and taxi drivers often fail to allow pedestrians to cross the 'shared space' approach to the station.

Probably too busy an area for the 'shared space' approach to work effectively.

 

[MarkyT]

I believe this was the result of many complaints including queueing taxis blocking a road junction the problem may now be that Uber will try and occupy the space as the Local hackneys are now going to be where Uber used to load punters

I thought idea was for the taxi turning circle and pick up bays under the canopy to be redeveloped as a pedestrian circulation area, much needed IMHO. That would leave no room for minicabs/ubers, and there's little space on the roads outside for pick/drop nearby either.

 

[Antman]

Good. The taxi rank at Brighton is awful, full of fumes and taxi drivers often fail to allow pedestrians to cross the 'shared space' approach to the station.

I agree and I'm not surprised there have been so many complaints.

 

[jimbo99]

Not arguing either way in the case of Brighton. I pushed my mother out on a wheelchair - always thought it odd the way you end up pushing your way through taxis. But all were polite though and had my mother been on her own, taxis close by would have been handy.

I'm always suspicious when public bodies justify a move based on receiving complaints/responding to feedback.

A couple of years back my local council announced a consultation leading up to a change to what they called the "street scene". They said they had had a number of complaints which prompted the proposal. When I did an FOI about the complaints they had received, they said they had had 3. Two from the same person and a third they had logged but since lost.

 

[Skie]

Taxi drivers rarely do themselves any favours.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I’ve seen the queue of taxis at night, backing-up down Surrey Street. This often delays incoming Route 6 or Route 7 buses, towards Hove. Which can be helpful if it’s raining hard and your inbound train has terminated at the country end of the platform (for coupling-up to an 8-car already in the platform). It’s a long walk to the gateline and sometimes a busy concourse to navigate, if you’re hoping to catch a bus!
Having taxis and rail-replacement buses going from the same place looks like a recipe for chaos, though, despite what GTR say ...