Cornwall Council is to be asked to review the siting of the taxi rank in St Ives, and consult over moving it away from the end of Dove Street, next to the cinema.
The taxi rank in its current position beside the cinema. Photo: Ed Norbury
Driver and taxi firm owner John Chard told members of St Ives Town Council that colleagues from other companies agreed the current rank was no longer fit for purpose.
This had been exacerbated by the change of traffic flow in town, which saw more vehicles coming down from The Stennack into Gabriel Street. Many, especially the elderly, were finding it difficult to cross the road safely to get to the taxis.
At times, taxis are forming a line behind the rank and down into Dove Street, causing problems for those accessing the old police station flats and the rear of the Western Hotel. They get in the way of pedestrians walking up the steps towards Trenwith, too.
Dove Street becomes difficult to navigate, too, for those with pushchairs and suitcases when eight-seater taxis are parked along there.
Mr Chard said the taxi firms favoured a rank on the other side of the road, between the Co_op and the St Ives Theatre.
A decision on moving the rank would need to be made by Cornwall Council, and town councillors resolved to ask them to review the situation and set up a consultation to look into a new location.
“It’s probably at least a decade that the current taxi rank has been unsuitable,” said Andrew Mitchell, who is also a county councillor. It’s offically for two cars — they used to fit three on there. “Sending traffic up Dove Street has certainly made the situation worse.”
He said the town council could not perdetermine where the new site should go. “There would have to be public consultation, and obviously Highways would have a view as well.”
