Councillors to consider trial move of Brighton Station taxi rank
Councillors will consider a proposal to move the taxi rank from the front of Brighton Station to Terminus Road, at the side of the station, for a trial period, at a meeting on November 24.
The idea follows concern about congestion and disruption to buses and pedestrians caused by taxis queuing to enter the existing rank on the station forecourt.
If the proposal is given the go ahead by members of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, the rank will be moved to Terminus Road for a trial period of up to 18 months.
Terminus Road was used as a temporary taxi rank while the Station Gateway works were underway and feedback from the taxi trade and bus companies about the arrangement was positive. During that time traffic monitoring was undertaken across the wider area to assess impact.
A report to the committee set out the proposal to convert the southbound lane of Terminus Road from general traffic to taxis only. It includes additional measures to ensure displaced traffic is kept away from the West Hill residential areas that will be put in place prior to the start of the trial.
Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said:
“The area to the front of the station has been much improved but the problems of bus and taxi congestion still remain and at busy times can be dangerous for pedestrians. We are proposing a serious trial with measures put in place from the start to protect residential streets in the West Hill area that experienced extra traffic during the previous, informal arrangements. Residents will be notified prior to the start of the trial and consulted on how it is working.
“If the trial goes ahead we will continue to monitor the area closely and the issue will come back to the committee again for a final decision on the location of the rank.”
*Proposed measures to minimise the impact on the West Hill area:
- The one-way flow on Clifton Street is reversed to prevent its use as a shortcut from Terminus Road to Upper Gloucester Road.
- Buckingham Place is closed to all non-bus and taxi traffic between the two sections of Bath Street. This will have the effect of diverting through traffic at Seven Dials on to Montpelier Road, Dyke Road or towards Preston Circus rather than through West Hill. Access to the area will still be possible via Bath Street or Dyke Road.
- Minor works to the boarding area at the southern end of Terminus Road to ensure that passengers can be safely boarded into multiple taxis simultaneously.
More information
For more background, view the committee papers for the report (agenda item no. 47)