Taxi drivers say closure of road is costing 'thousands'
TAXI drivers say a controversial road closure aimed at protecting drinkers from being hit by cars has lost them "thousands of pounds".
Chief Inspector Steve Pont said shutting the Strand in Derby from midnight to 5am on Saturdays and Sundays would "help prevent collisions and injuries".
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The Strand
The road feeds into the bar area of the Wardwick. He said it was "a tight corner with a restricted view".
But drivers of private hire taxis say 40% of their business comes from these bars but they cannot access the Wardwick – a one-way street – when the Strand is shut. Meanwhile, the city's yellow Hackney cabs are able to access the Wardwick via Victoria Street.
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City councillor and taxi driver Gulfraz Nawaz said that the police were "making the job easier for themselves and not thinking about taxi drivers or shopkeepers" by advising Derby City Council to make the road closure.
He said: "The police stand there and let drinkers do what they want. They should be stopping them crossing the road when the cars come."
Faz Mansha, operations manager at Albatross Cars, said: "We lost thousands of pounds because of the closure last weekend. We have to tell customers to walk to another place to be picked up and, at that time of night, most of them are intoxicated.
"They see Hackney taxis are able to come down the road and think we're pulling their leg or get angry."
He added some disabled people would not be able to get to another pick-up point.
Ch Insp Pont said the road closure decision was made after taking the needs of all the businesses and visitors to the city centre into account.
He said: "We don't have the resources to line the Wardwick with officers to stop people crossing the road.
"Between midnight and 5am, there are thousands of people in that area and they are not all drunk. You could have a couple who have come out for a meal and a drink. Why should they be stopped from crossing the road?"
Victoria and Tony Jacobs say their Strand bakery, Baked, is also losing money. Mrs Jacobs used to park outside the bakery to start preparing food at 4.30am on Saturday but now starts later as she feels unsafe walking in the city in the dark, meaning she cannot prepare as much food by opening time.
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by snakeyes2
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 4:31PM
“@sherlock. You call other people brain dead, then you call me a troll? How nice. I have no ego to massage, as like you and everyone else on here, we remain anonymous, so ego does not come into it.”
by make_redgreen
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:52PM
“There's a load of pub along the Morledge and the train station as well - are them roads going to be shut?”
by kfootlambert
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:32PM
“@ sherlock.. Yes ok, but they could probably still spell "Derby and laws" unlike you.”
by _Sherlock_
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 1:33PM
“Perhaps the drunks should simply be arrested for being drunk & disorderly.
Derny haws become a no-go area for decent people at night thanks to the brain dead drunks.”
by oscardoodle
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 1:25PM
“You get the impression that this closure measure is designed to protect the vulnerable , who have become as vulnerable as a newt through their own choice and irresponsibility, whereas from many occasions I have had the misfortune to witness, the problem is not wobbly people,blind drunk and with their inner gyroscope out of action crossing the road, it's intoxicated people who think that they have a divine right to ignore common road sense and the green cross code that even a three year old can master and just walk out in front of traffic and expect it to stop. Their arrogance is beyond belief- more so when you watch the pedestrian crossing beside Burton menswear on Victoria street on a busy Saturday lunch- shoppers, pushchair users, scooter riders just plough across when traffic has right of way and then kick and curse near-missing buses who can't safely stop in time. Legislation is being more and more geared to the selfish, the ignorant, the arrogant until these traits become the norm, and civilized people just have to tolerate it and bite their lip.
I despair for the future, I really do P.s- Are we sure that the Strand has not been closed to allow pedestrians to walk that stretch without slipping in vomit and urine on the pavement?
Sorry if you're eating whilst reading this.........”
by SarahL123
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 11:45AM
“Totally agree Georgiesmum - surely the restriction (or lack) should apply equally.
As for closing a road to protect drunks, I don't think I've ever heard anything so daft! If someone is so drunk they need that kind of protection, they are in just as much danger walking down the club stairs!”
by J-Bone
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 11:44AM
“What happened to "survival of the fittest"? It seems to have become, "inane protection of the lowest common denominator".
Also, isn't it against the law to serve alcohol to an intoxicated individual? Perhaps a better idea to halt the problem at source rather than taking money out of the pockets of people trying to make a living?”
by Georgiesmum
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 11:29AM
“Seeing as the yellow taxis are run by Derby City Council, doesn't this give them an unfair advantage, while depriving others of earning a living?”
by ProudBrit1
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 11:21AM
“Why don't they just carry on using the Bus Lane through Albert Street? Even though it's For Bus,Hackney + cycles, Private hire taxi's still use it. Oh i forgot there is now a Police presence there.”
by Tamas
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 11:07AM
“Closing streets to stop drunks getting run over has got to be one of the daftest schemes I have heard of. Who thought this one up, the police station cat?”