Mini-Cab Operations and CPZsMini-Cab businesses operated in London and elsewhere long before the current regime of Controlled Parking was even thought about. In West Ealing alone companies like Manor Cars and Manor Wheels have been operating for over 40 years - long before there were single, never mind double, yellow lines outside or near their offices.
In recent years many local Mini-Cab companies have managed to stay in business by - seemingly - circumventing the law. They ‘stage' their cars on yellow lines or in Stop and Shop parking bays but we never seem to see them ticketed for these ‘offences'.
That some of these companies have been operating for 40 years is clear evidence that they provide a much-needed service for residents and the local community and we see no reason why their status should not be on a par with Black Cabs. If Black Cabs are provided with dedicated Cab Ranks - as at Haven Green for example, and Car Clubs are provided with dedicated parking bays why shouldn't Mini-Cabs be provided with dedicated car parking bays to ‘stage' their cabs? Candy Cars Case Study Candy Cars mini-cabs have been operating from their Kirchen Road office for some 20 years. When they set up there was no controlled parking in Kirchen Road so staging their cars in the road was not a problem. When the 9:30 am to 4:30 pm CPZ came to Kirchen Road, three Stop and Shop parking bays were installed in Kirchen Road near to the junction with Broadway/Uxbridge Road. Candy Cars were told by a Council Officer, incorrectly we believe, that they could use these car parking bays, which had clearly not been installed for use by Mini-Cabs. When Candy Cars followed the advice of the Council officer and used these bays the result was that people who had driven to visit the local shops, including the NatWest Bank on the Uxbridge Road, were frequently unable to park After reportedly vociferous and consistent protesting by one resident in Kirchen Road about Candy Cars' cabs parking in these Stop and Shop parking bays, the Council removed the bays in November 2007 and replaced them with double yellow lines. This has now created a lose/lose situation for Candy Cars, the local shops/NatWest Bank, and car driving shoppers. The only winner appears to be one Kirchen Road resident, who we have been told has her own dedicated off-road parking bay in Kirchen Road anyway! Candy Cars has told WEN that the Council intends to embed some Pay and Display parking bays within the never-heavily-parked-up Kirchen Road. A Council Officer has also told Candy Cars that they will be able to use these parking bays - yet another inappropriate bit of advice we believe as Pay and Display Parking is aimed at visitors and shoppers. Dedicated Mini-Cab Parking BaysLeft unresolved there is the distinct possibility that as more CPZs come into being one or more of the Mini-Cab companies will be forced out of business. West Ealing Neighbours is seeking to resolve this problem and the Council's current review of its CPZ policy offers a golden opportunity to tackle this matter head on and implement a permanent solution. What is more, West Ealing Neighbours believes there is a simple solution to resolve the current confusion. We believe Mini-Cab businesses need dedicated and suitably labelled car parking bays near to their offices for some of their cars - embedded inside CPZs if necessary. None of the W13 Mini-Cab companies that we know of use or have very big fleets of drivers and cars. They probably have a maximum of three cars on shift in the daytime and four in the evening. Three dedicated Mini-Cab parking bays would be adequate for pretty much all of them. Here are some suggestions as to where these dedicated mini-cab bays can be located: Candy Cars - embed Mini-Cab bays in CPZ in Kirchen Road Manor Cars/PACE - cut the Mini-Cab bays out of the very wide pavement on the east side of The Avenue. Manor Wheels - create Mini-Cab bays on the north side of Manor Road outside their office. Of course for this strategy to work it would require effective ‘policing' by traffic wardens to ensure Mini-Cabs only use these dedicated bays and not the Stop and Shop or Pay and Display bays. We would like to include PCSOs and Police Officers in this policing but recent anecdotal evidence suggests that this is not a matter that warrants their attention.
Clearly mandatory screen displayed Mini-Cab identifiers would be required to make this system work also.
Eric Leach Vice-Chair West Ealing Neighbours www.westealingneighbours.org.uk
9th December, 2007 |
