Plans to extend the tramway in Blackpool have been met with resistance from local cab drivers amid fears that the work proposed will cause “horrendous” congestion on the Promenade.
A £22 million project to extend the present tram line along Talbot Road has already been approved with work due to start in 2018. Earlier this week, the council announced that it was buying the Wilkinson’s building to make way for a new tram terminal at Blackpool North, the seaside resorts main station.
Dispute
However, cab drivers in the area are calling on town hall chiefs to put the brakes on the scheme, claiming that the extension will add to existing traffic queues and disrupt the town centre.
Bill Lewtas, secretary of the Blackpool Licensed Taxi Operators Association, said: “It’s generally accepted by most people that Blackpool is more congested now than five years ago.
“This is primarily due to the changes on the Promenade which cause traffic to divert off and build up elsewhere.
“If this development goes forward we predict two years of mayhem while the work takes place. Businesses on Talbot Road will lose trade and even more shops will close. Then, when the work is complete, congestion will be much worse.”
Also voicing his concerns is Dee Grant, director of Blackpool taxi firm C Cabs. He said “If the carriageway is narrowed to put the tramway in, where will our taxis park when they are picking up customers from the pubs and restaurants on Talbot Road?
“It’s already horrendous on that section of the Promenade, so if you have trams, buses and cars all trying to get across the Prom there, it will cause massive congestion.”
Taxi driver David Palmer added: “I feel the town centre will become segregated if they insist on running trams up Talbot Road.”
Council Response
A Blackpool Council spokesman said: “We know lots of people will have an opinion about the proposed extension of the tramway and we want to hear those views.
“In the coming weeks we will be arranging a meeting with interested parties including the taxi operators so we can update them on the plans and discuss any concerns they might have.
“Once a draft design has been developed there will be an exhibition and opportunity for members of the public to comment on the plans.”