Express & Star

New taxi rank spaces backed to support Wolverhampton's Westside development

Additional taxi rank spaces will be created for black cab drivers in a bid to better serve customers at a major new development.

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The taxi rank in Victoria Street near the Beatties building will not be expanded under the plans

New spaces will be created at locations across Wolverhampton city centre as part of the updated service.

Following a consultation with Hackney carriage drivers, Wolverhampton Council backed the plan saying they would provide valuable links to the city’s Westside development.

The £55 million leisure-led Westside development includes plans for a multi-screen cinema and restaurants.

Licensing section leader Greg Bickerdike told the council’s non-statutory licensing committee: “The council ran a full six-week consultation last year on the taxi ranks in the city centre and the council’s Hackney carriage licence holders were written to requesting feedback, which has helped us to identify new rank space for 17 taxis.

“We’ve built into the feedback about the approach to the Westside Link project. There was a request from a few people that responded to the consultation about the Victoria Street taxi rank, and the fact that it can be quite overcrowded at times.

“There was a request for a new rank or for that rank to be extended. Because we’re expecting the Westside Link to be implemented over the next few years, we’re not going to affect the rank on Victoria Street.

“We’re working with the people who are developing Westside so that there will be new ranks created near to the development that will allow people to access it by Hackney carriage.

“This report presents the feedback from the council’s consultation on taxi ranks in the city centre and the proposed Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which will enshrine in law the new taxi ranks identified,” he added.

Councillor Greg Brackenridge proposed the recommendations made in the report, which were seconded by Councillor Keith Inston. All committee members present voted to approve it.