Additional taxi rank plan for Navan

A NEW taxi rank is to be provided outside Aldi on Brews Hill in Navan following a recent review of taxi stands for Navan carried out by Meath County Council.

Also included in the proposed new draft byelaws are proposals for day time loading bays, which will serve as taxi ranks at night. Councillors had been asked to make submission on the draft taxi byelaws for the purposes of the review.

The council now proposes to have 28 taxi stands in Navan, among them three new spaces on Brews Hill.

There will be two spaces at the Blackcastle shopping centre and 12 spaces on Kennedy Road adjacent to the Navan Town Shopping Centre.

Five spaces are proposed for Market Square adjacent to the Clonard House, the Old St. Lawrence Hotel and Eddie Rockets.

There will be two spaces each at Market Square outside the Bank of Ireland, at The Valley Cafe in Watergate Street and Henry Loughran's pub on Trimgate Street, that will serve as taxi ranks after 7pm and will be designated loading bays during the daytime. The new proposals will go on public display shortly.

Cllr Eddie Fennessy who raised the shortage of taxi spaces in Navan at a Municipal District meeting last December welcomed the news.

He said at the time that taxi operators were suffering because of a lack of designated space in the town.

"Last month councillors were asked to consider the existing byelaws and make submissions for improvement. I made a number of submissions calling primarily for the creation of night ranks. I also called for a new rank at the Aldi store on Brews Hill and the bringing forward of plans to open a new rank at the back door of Navan Shopping Centre. I'm delighted that some of my submissions were taken on board and will be rolled out over the next two years."

When the new bus bays are in use at Kennedy Place when Navan 2030 is in place, there will be four taxi spaces on either side of the road, as well as 11 spaces at the back of the shopping centre.

There are also future proposals for a taxi rank at the Fairgreen when the 2030 scheme is in place.

"I thank Meath County Council for their cooperation, I look forward to the conclusion of this process and the beginning of a new era for the local taxi industry," said Cllr Fennessy.

In the review undertaken by the county council it was pointed out the previous version of the Navan Town bye-laws for taxis dated back to 2003. It was noted that technology now forms part of the public’s use of taxi services, with dedicated mobile phone applications being used "which in some instances negates the necessity for the use of dedicated taxi stands.

What’s your view? Email: Ann.Casey@meathchronicle.ie