Aberdeen taxi driver against potential move of rank to Shiprow
An Aberdeen taxi driver is telling Northsound News that it would be a disaster for the main rank to be moved to Shiprow
Last updated 31st Jan 2022
An Aberdeen taxi driver has told Northsound News that it would be a disaster for main base for drivers to be moved to Shiprow.
Since the beginning of the pandemic former taxi ranks on Union Street and on the Back Wynd were removed due to spaces for people.
Since then drivers have mainly been based at Hadden Street, but when the old market building is demolished, they'll need to be moved once again.
Many drivers and passengers have said they'd like a return to the original spots, but the pedestranisation of a section of Union Street throws a spanner in the works there.
Derek Davidson, who drives independently, is set to meet Council officials today (Monday January 31).
He says the current proposal is to move the rank to Shiprow, but he says that simply isn't sensible for safety reasons, but also in the interest of disabled people, with it's hilly terrain.
Mr Davidson told Northsound News:
"Our main frustration with this is they (the council) have never consulted with the people actually effected by the changes.
"What they are proposing is to close the Back Wynd for good, and move the Hadden Street rank - we don't know if this is temporary or permanent - to Shiprow, and to have a rank at Rosemount beside the library.
"I appreciate they may not want to re-open Union Street for taxis to come down it.
"But there are different options that can be looked at to get that rank back into operation."
Mr Davidson suggests his preferred option would be to have a bus and taxi lane at the side of the pedestrianised section of Union street, making it easy for vehicles to leave the Back Wynd.
But otherwise he believes taxis could access the street from the other end at Schoolhill, and could then turn in one of the side streets.
Mr Davidson says basing a rank at Shiprow would be too far away from many businesses, but he says it's disabled people who will suffer most from the possible change.
"At the moment a lot of disabled people are complaining, because even walking down to Hadden Street is quite a lot for them if they've got a wheelchair for example.
"The Shiprow isn't a suitable location, one because it's too far away from the businesses, and again it would effect disabled people because they've got a hill to get up and down.
"If they are really on about having safer cities for people, they are asking them to walk along dark streets to get to the Shiprow, and I don't think that's very safe either.
"A big part of my taxi life I spent taxing disabled people, so I often speak to disabled people and they are very concerned.
"Union Streets been kind of out of bounds for them for two years, so it's very very important to them."