Taxi drivers hit out at rank behaviour of motorists

Taxi drivers in Navan say their livelihoods are being severely impacted by motorists illegally parking on taxi ranks.

The problem has gotten particularly bad since some of the spaces were relocated to Abbey Road, with taxi drivers complaining the ranks are often completely ignored by motorists and they have been threatened when asking motorists to move off the rank.

The threat to their livelihood is so bad they attended the recent Meath Safety Partnership meeting to highlight the issue and received a commitment from the Gardai that there would be an enforcement operation.

Taxi operator, Ciarán Phelan, said his business is badly affected by the illegal parking.

“On a Sunday, because there is no warden, the rank at the back of the Shopping Centre on Abbey Road is treated like a public car park. I know there is an issue with parking on street, but the shopping centre car park is there. If we politely ask somebody to move out of the rank we are often met with verbal abuse and even aggressive behaviour where people get out of their cars and threaten us.

“My wife is a taxi driver during the day. I mostly do evenings and nights and I have experienced it during the day myself. It is not fair. People are just trying to make their living, look after their families.”

Mr Phelan said the problems all started when the taxi rank moved to the back of the shopping centre. “When we were at the front, there was no way for them to get into the rank because we would all be parked up. Now there are people parking illegally in the ranks all the time, despite the fact they are well signposted,

“Parking wardens do issue tickets but people seem to know when they have been around, see the window and park on the rank after they have gone.”

He said there is a similar issue at Market Square. “They ignore the signs and just park there. There is a loading bay that officially becomes a taxi rank at night and I have had people shouting at me that is not a taxi rank.”

He said a number of taxi drivers recently attended the Meath Safety Partnership meeting where the Gardai said they would carry out an enforcement operation.

“Something needs to be done because some day a taxi driver will be physically assaulted and then it becomes a bigger problem. There are a lot of hot headed people out there at the moment.

“If we cannot get onto the rank, we have to drive around in a circle and hope whoever left the car there has come back and taken it away.

“We just want to make a living, and get people off the streets at night and home safe, but we are hampered at every avenue.”

Cllr Eddie Fennessy who attended the Safety Partnership meeting said this was an issue that had come up a lot over the past few years.

“During my time as Mayor of Navan, I organised discussions between council transport officials and representatives from two separate taxi groups in the town to try and find a solution to the problem of illegal parking on taxi ranks.

“It is a growing problem and to be fair to the council, their hands are tied because it is an enforcement issue.

“The crux of the problem is illegal parking outside of normal working of hours. As soon as the traffic wardens finish their daily shift, certain motorists believe they can park wherever they want. Taxi ranks on Kennedy Road and at Abbey Road are regularly congested with illegal parking most evenings and particularly on Sundays.

“When a motorist parks illegally on a taxi rank space, they prevent the drivers from entering their place of business. This impacts trade through a loss of earnings and it also increases the cost of trading for a taxi driver who is forced to use more fuel than is necessary by circling the town to wait for a space to open up on the rank.”

“Local taxi drivers are prevented from accessing their place of trade and not only that, but they are also regularly threatened and abused by people who don’t care for the law and who feel they can park wherever they want, whenever they want, and without consequence.

“The introduction of an enforcement regime that would issue parking tickets to those flouting the law would, over a short period of time, end the culture of illegal parking on taxi ranks in Navan and allow the taxi drivers to operate from their place of work without fear of being abused or incurring additional fuel costs from doing unnecessary laps of the town.”

Cllr Fennessy welcomed the commitment given by the Gardaí at the meeting to carry out an operation aimed at tackling the problem. “An enforcement regime that issues parking tickets will end the culture of parking on taxi ranks. I look forward to that happening without delay.”

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said during patrol hours, traffic wardens monitor taxi ranks and will issue fines to vehicles parked illegally in these areas. On occasion, fines may also be issued to unattended taxis occupying taxi ranks.

“Traffic Wardens rotate their patrol routes to ensure coverage across all areas of the town. Misuse of taxi ranks and other instances of illegal parking outside patrol hours, including evenings and Sundays, may be reported to An Garda Síochána. From mid-November through the Christmas period, there will be increased Traffic Warden patrols in town centre shopping areas,” he said.