Taxi drivers angry at plans to relocate ranks and spaces

Many of Navan’s taxi drivers feel they have been ignored by the council

A GROUP of Navan taxi drivers are angry at the proposals for taxi ranks in the Navan 2030 plan, warning they will severely impact their business.

Danny Fitzpatrick who represents 37 of the town's taxi drivers believed they have been totally ignored by the council when it comes to taxi ranks.

“The new proposals are going to make it very difficult not only for the taxi driver but the passengers as well,” he said.

“The local bus service carries 2,000 passengers a week, but the taxis carry 10,000, but we are being treated like second-class citizens,” he said,

“What will be provided at the shopping centre is totally inadequate.

“The new rank at the back of the shopping centre is away from the footfall. There is also an incline up to it from the shopping centre which will leave it very difficult for the elderly to push shopping trolleys up to the rank.

“The few spaces we will have in the existing rank at the shopping centre will be behind the bus stop, so people coming out of the shopping centre won’t even know we are there.

“They could have left them to the front of the bus stops.

“We don't know why they are putting spaces at the Fair Green and there are now four spaces at Aldi but one would do there. Nobody will wants to park at the rank at Blackcastle because it is never used.”

Mr Fitzpatrick said that Trimgate Street could be used as a night time taxi rank and additional ranks could be provided at the shopping centre.

Among the suggestions from the group Mr Fitzsimons represents was that the new taxi rank at Abbey Road be extended down to Argos, leaving space for the entrance.

Many of taxi drivers have proposed locating a rank at the main entrance to the shopping centre at Paddy O'Brien Street.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said the revised layout for Kennedy Road and the relocation of the existing taxi rank to Abbey Road was included in the statutory public consultation process.

“It is noted that upon completion of the new taxi rank on Abbey Road, the use of the existing taxi rank on Kennedy Road (12 spaces) is to be revoked, and a new rank created on Abbey Road (11 spaces),” she said.

“When the road works on Kennedy Road are complete, including the bus interchange, there will be seven new taxi spaces created on Kennedy Road directly adjacent to the bus interchange (available to public, including shoppers and also bus passengers disembarking from the bus services). “There will also be two ‘time plates’ taxi spaces - taxi spaces from 7pm to 6am, and loading from 6am to 7pm.

“Further additional taxi spaces are to be provided as part of the Navan 2030 works,” she said.