Taxi firms have called for a dedicated bay for their use and although there are no current plans for that, Shirehall communications officer for transport and highways Jennifer Fullard said she hoped the proposal would go some way to ease the situation.
Her comments came after taxi firms in Bridgnorth reacted with anger when a driver was given a parking ticket while helping a shopper into the cab with their bags. Tracey Gauden from Colin’s Taxis was ticketed by a warden while picking up the passenger in High Street on Friday. The incident has rekindled a long-standing grievance between taxi firms, the council and parking enforcers ParkRight.
The firms claim they are not able to carry out their business because there is nowhere in the town for them to pick up customers and when they do stop they are asked to move on by wardens.
Mrs Gauden had pulled up at the bus stop outside Tesco Express when she was asked to move on by the warden. The warden gave her the ticket when she moved the cab a few yards down the street and got out to help the shopper.
Mrs Gauden said a lot of the taxi firms in Bridgnorth had been having problems with wardens in the town centre. “It’s the first time I’ve received a ticket, but we’ve had problems with picking people up for a long time now,” she said. “It’s a problem because there’s nowhere in the town centre for taxi drivers to pick people up. We desperately need some taxi bays.”
She said the firm would be contesting the ticket.
James Masson, of A-Line Taxis, said: “They keep saying we are going to get a taxi rank, but I believe it’s only going to be a rank at night-time which is no good for us. We need somewhere where we can help old ladies with their shopping bags in the day.”
ParkRight enforcement supervisor Sean Sutton said: “A parking ticket was issued to Mrs Gauden as the vehicle in question was parked in a bus stop. The driver was advised that she was parked in contravention of the parking regulations and was advised to move on.
“The driver did not take the advice that was given and therefore received the penalty charge notice.”
