Plans are now in place to create a new taxi rank at a waterfront venue in the Welsh capital after concerns were raised over traffic chaos and pedestrian safety.
The road next to Mermaid Quay, by Cardiff Bay, is a popular place to hire a taxi but a lack of parking for cabs has created an unsafe environment, according to police.
Passengers are forced into making a hazardous trip across a built-up area, with weekend revellers in particular danger.
“People are coming out of pubs and staggering across the road,” commented Police Constable Gareth Price. It’s getting to the stage where we fear an injury or worse.”
With its demand as a pick-up point, dozens of taxis are now causing tailbacks during peak hours. Public transport has been affected by several traffic jams each day.
Mathab Khan, chairman of Cardiff Hackney Association, welcomed news of the new taxi rank, which follows almost 15 years of requests from drivers.
The traffic regulation order has been passed to the council’s legal department to prepare a public consultation notice advertising plans for the new taxi rank. The legal department will seal the order on the provision that no objections are received within a 21-day period.
Mr Khan is confident the community and local businesses will agree to the plans.
Mr Khan told The Cabbie website: “Demand for this service warrants taxis being in the area.
“Currently taxis park on the double-yellow lines outside the supermarket in Mermaid Quay but are regularly moved on. This causes inconvenience to both drivers and passengers, with many taxi drivers threatened with parking tickets,” continued Mr Khan.
“In a bid to stay within the law, drivers are forced to park across the road. We’d like the new taxi rank to be established on the Tesco side, at least six car lengths long. This will provide the best working environment for drivers,” stressed Mr Khan.