Last updated at 13:23, Friday, 01 February 2013

A Workington car park will be used as an extra taxi rank at night to tackle problems with an existing waiting area.

Issues with the Washington Street rank prompted Allerdale council to investigate other options to use as an overflow.

Taxi drivers approached the council and police because of reports of problems with the Washington Street rank.

These included drivers doing U-turns, and parking at traffic lights and on Ramsay Brow.

At a meeting of Allerdale’s licensing committee on Wednesday, members agreed that Udale Street car park, by Marks & Spencer, should be used as a rank in the evening and at night.

Councillor Nicky Cockburn said: “It is excellent as an overflow site as you can see the Washington Street rank and it is quiet at that time of night so it will be easy to cross the road.”

Councillors will ask police to marshall the site and to prevent taxis parking up Ramsay Brow but the taxi drivers could also try and police it themselves.

The panel discussed other options such as closing Washington Street as a rank due to overflow and traffic problems, create an overflow at Central Square for the Jane Street rank, leave the system as it is or designate Murray Road as an evening rank but it was felt none of the other options were viable.

Sue McKenzie, owner of Sue’s Taxis, said: “I don’t think there was another solution so we will give it a go and see how it works. If it doesn’t work we will have to look at another solution.”

First published at 12:49, Friday, 01 February 2013
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk