Great Yarmouth Troll Cart taxi rank changes spark fury
Taxi drivers in Great Yarmouth say planned changes to the town's road network will lead to a 'considerable' loss of earnings for them
Taxi drivers have been left furious after being “swept aside” in favour of buses as major changes to the road network in a Norfolk town will mean one of the busiest ranks will be closed.
Great Yarmouth’s cabbies say a proposal to stop them from picking up customers outside the Troll Cart – one of the most popular pubs – before 11pm will lead to a “considerable” loss of earnings.
It comes as Norfolk County Council intends to alter bus routes in the Market Gates area and create a new bus lane travelling in the opposite direction to traffic currently in order to cut journey times.
What are the changes?
NCC is making a number of bus service improvements in the town which will affect taxi ranks as part of the £2m project.
Under the proposals, drivers will only be able to use the Temple Road taxi rank – outside the Wetherspoon pub – between 11pm and 5am.
This is to allow for a new bus lane to be created, which will run in the opposite direction from the current flow of traffic.
As a compromise, the taxi rank outside Theatre Plain will be expanded to allow for 12 cars in total.
New taxi ranks will also be built at the Market Gates Road on both the north and south sides.
NCC say the project will make bus journeys quicker and more reliable, separate buses from general traffic and boost the local economy.
Work is due to start commencing on January 2025 and it is due to be completed by May 2025.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s licencing committee had previously blocked the changes to the taxi rank at a meeting in November.
However, Conservative councillors subsequently put forward a motion to revisit this decision at a full council meeting this month.
Graham Plant, a Great Yarmouth councillor who is also the NCC cabinet member for highways and transport, was among those calling for it to be revisited.
The Licensing Committee will vote on the changes again at a meeting next year.
Rank rage
The proposed changes have frustrated taxi drivers in the town, who feel they are being “steamrolled” through without proper consideration for how it may affect their trade.
Sean Morley, a spokesman for the Great Yarmouth Taxi Association (GYTA), said: “The Troll Cart rank is a mainstay of our business and is one of the busiest areas.
“This will hit our trade and will pull customers away.
“We feel taxis are not being considered within NCC’s transport strategy despite being a big part of the network.
“We feel we have been pushed to the wayside in favour of the buses.”
Drivers in the town say customers worry they will feel unsafe as the walk from the Troll Cart to the new ranks at Market Gates is poorly lit.
It is understood businesses next to the Temple Road taxi rank feel they have not been consulted with about the changes.
Roy Symonds, a retired driver who now works as a legal representative for GYTA, added: “About 200 drivers will be significantly harmed by these changes.
“A lack of good taxi ranks in the town means that drivers give up earlier as they aren’t getting decent fares.
“But people who have done their shopping will often choose a taxi to get home, rather than waiting one or two hours for a bus.
“This means people don’t come into Yarmouth as much now as they may struggle to get a taxi home, which affects the town’s economy too.”