Cabbies have railed against plans to move the longstanding taxi rank outside Hove railway station as part of a redesign to create cycle lanes in Goldstone Villas.
And the bad feeling has been made worse by claims that they had been consulted about the proposals and were happy with them.
There are concerns that they will be pushed out of sight, with a new rank proposed in Station Approach although passengers would have to cross two lanes of traffic instead of one.
The entrance to the Hove Station Car Wash would be moved further east and more changes are planned nearer the Blatchington Road end of Goldstone Villas, including scrapping the mini-roundabout and closing off Eaton Villas and Clarendon Villas. For more details, click here.
As drivers reacted to the proposed revamp, Labour councillor Jackie O’Quinn posted on a can trade Facebook page: “They want to instal three zebra crossings around the station for pedestrians.
“Just by pressing the button on one of them you activate all three – totally unnecessary.
“I was told at a meeting last week that the taxi trade were very happy about having their taxi tank moved to Station Approach.”
After drivers made clear that they were not happy, Councillor O’Quinn said: “It was very naughty of them to imply you had been consulted.
“I asked what the taxi trade thought of being moved and would they lose any spaces. I was told you were quite happy with the change.”
As more drivers made clear that they had no knowledge of the newly announced scheme, she added: “I’m really annoyed about this. A bit typical of much that has taken place in the last couple of years.”
Andrew Peters, from the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association, said: “On Monday 4 July the taxi trade reps received an email from the council with plans to remove the rank from the top of Goldstone Villas, Hove, and to put it around the corner in Station Approach, effectively out of sight.
“We have reliably been informed by a Licensing Committee councillor that she was told that we ‘are happy with the rank moving’.
“On behalf of the trade, I can categorically state that we are not happy at all.
“Furthermore, we are extremely upset that there has never been any consultation on this, even though we had a trade meeting with the council in April.
“Additionally, we have only been given extremely short notice to submit our grave concerns about not only the removal of the rank but also amount the severe lack of consultation as major stakeholders in this issue.
“We would like to make it very clear that this rank has been in place for well over 40 years and to effectively shove it out of sight is absolutely unacceptable.
“We have worked extensively with the council on the Valley Gardens Project with several one-to-one meetings so for this plan to suddenly appear without any prior consultation with the local taxi trade can only be described as an insult.
“We have always tried in earnest to work with the council but it cannot go without saying that we feel as if we have been completely dismissed.”
Don’t you just love BHCC! They prattle on about them ‘listening’ and ‘being transparent’. The truth is they are acting in and increasingly dictatorial way with no concern for residents’ of businesses’ views . This cannot be allowed to happen.
As a nearby resident, I’m actually all for this. Hopefully they’ll also do something about the junction with Clarendon Road which is a nightmare to navigate as a pedestrian.
The cab rank is hard to get to (in the middle of a busy road) and a complete pain for people trying to cross. The proposed site is just as visible from the station (there’s a clear line of sight across the street) and would put some much-needed presence on that area which is currently overgrown and underlit.
I’m sure the residents of the flats they are putting a very busy rank outside will be delighted. Engines running – constant chit chat.. but as long as you are ok!
I don’t think it’ll make much difference. It’s only going to be a few metres closer. Plus, the flats look directly out onto a bus stop where drivers change over anyway! Plenty of traffic noise day and night.
I lived behind Woolworths and had buses with idling engines all day. It didn’t bother me. A lot of chatter, natter, and banter, I never complained. It was just a hot spot of activity and it was never really a concern.
that’s BHCC for you operating behind peoples back then tell them last minute
It’s great if they’re consulted, but they don’t have a veto.
The safety of highway users comes before private profit.
So who said the taxi drivers were happy? That officer needs to be held to account, (but as it’s the transport department who make up facts and figures at will its unlikely). Why does there seem such a rush to implement this whole scheme? Consult properly and be open about plans.
>Why does there seem such a rush to implement this whole scheme?
It’s a matter of time before someone’s killed at one of these junctions.
Green drama queen alert!Why did bhcc install the roundabout on a previously safe junction?
No idea, but it definitely needs to be fixed quick.
Went and saw the proposals today, I don’t agree with the road closures simply due to the fact the junctions around Portland road need to be made part of the same scheme and drastically sorted out for this to work.
However the bit by Hove station is a massive improvement. If you need a taxi, crossing 1 road is not going to stop you, especially when you have the one they have designed.
The labor councilor, is she mental. If you stop the traffic to cross the road, why would the other 2 parts of the crossing stay live, it’s the same bit of road…
Band wagon jumping me thinks
Placing the taxi rank under the windows of a high rise block will bring the taxis into conflict with both Rally Hall users and the welfare of the tenants of the block. The funes from taxis idling in winter have been an issue at the rank opposite the RSCH IN Eastern Rd.
The present rank down the middle of Goldstone Villas is much safer for elderly/disabled to access involving one lane only of traffic. Crossing two lanes increases the danger of being hit on a very fast corner of whizzing vehicles. Fumes disperse better from the present rank.
Remember that the currently-fast corner will have a nice modern crossing slowing it down in the proposed plan. My experience of the existing rank is that it’s not accessible in the least, but I admit that’s not going to be the same for everyone.