Taxis Parked in Bus Station "Drop Off" point

Gal_Lad

Where does one lodge a complaint about taxis blatantly using the "Drop Off" point at Galway Bus Station as a taxi rank?

For the last couple of months I've been regularly dropping a relative to the bus station and on each occasion the designated drop off point outside the station is always occupied by taxis hoping to pick up a fare. Before anyone suggests it they have not just dropped off. It's basically become an unofficial rank. If the normal everyday driver was to get into the habit of using city taxi rank's for parking and waiting to pick up people I'd imagine there would be uproar from the taxi drivers.

Rant over.

challengemaster

Traffic watch:
1890 205 805

Mill St. Garda Station:
091 538 000

Also if you fancy taking all the taxi numbers, you could report them to the NTA using this:
http://www.transportforireland.ie/taxi/taxi-compliments-complaints/

However they do note that all traffic offences should be reported to the gardaí

Gal_Lad

I took a few photos of the taxis there and the plate numbers are also visible. Think I'll start with the transport/taxi complaint site.

I should add that what really got my blood up this time is that the person I was dropping off has recently broken their wrist so I felt obliged to give them a hand with their bag etc.... onto the bus. Because the drop off point was full of cabs waiting for fares I had to park in the multi across the road.

Just really selfish behaviour from cab drivers.

Long Gone

Gal_Lad wrote: »

I should add that what really got my blood up this time is that the person I was dropping off has recently broken their wrist so I felt obliged to give them a hand with their bag etc.... onto the bus.

Ah, so you were parking up to help them get their stuff onto the bus rather than just dropping them off ? -The drop off zone is meant to be for drop off passengers and then immediately going. Agree it is extremely ignorant of taxis to abuse it but do you really expect any different nowadays ? ?

challengemaster

Long Gone wrote: »

Ah, so you were parking up to help them get their stuff onto the bus rather than just dropping them off ? -The drop off zone is meant to be for drop off passengers and then immediately going.

Any car not moving is defined as being parked. Drop off zones can be used for 10-15 minutes to allow baggage to be moved.

There is nothing wrong with what the Op intended to use the space for (ie. as it was intended).

Taxis are provided with taxi ranks to park in.

Crumbs868

Drives me mad too. Anytime I drop someone off they either have to jump at the traffic lights or its double park up by radison which is a pain if they have luggage as its takes a min or two causing traffic / pedestrian delays

No point talking to taxi drivers as even if you get one to move there is one waiting to take their place

Gal_Lad

challengemaster wrote: »

Any car not moving is defined as being parked. Drop off zones can be used for 10-15 minutes to allow baggage to be moved.

Thanks Challengemaster, one thing to note the drop off zone at the bus station is limited to just 5 mins!!! Signs up in plain view for everyone.....except taxi drivers.

Mrs OBumble

challengemaster wrote: »

Any car not moving is defined as being parked. Drop off zones can be used for 10-15 minutes to allow baggage to be moved.

There is nothing wrong with what the Op intended to use the space for (ie. as it was intended).

Except that the drop-zone at Galway Bus station is not designed to allow for that.

I totally agree that the taxis are chancing their arm - but can see why they're doing it, sure who's going to walk uphill all the way past the bandhall and Fairgreen hostel / clients to get a taxi.

Really it's a design problem, due to the whole bus station not having enough space, and too much of what is there being allocated to vastly under-used cycle parks.

You've got good advice re where to report them. But I wouldn't be hopeful that it will make much long-term change happen.

KevR

That whole area is a disaster.

The brand new Coach Station has a drop-off area consisting of only 2 spaces. There is no provision for taxis there either. It really is a poster child for urban planning in Ireland.

Bad public transport. Bad roads + car parks. Bad footpaths. There are no winners when it comes to transport in Ireland.

You wouldn't mind but it's not like we are stuck for space in this country. There is less than 5 million people spread over 70,000 km2

bagels

On the two occasions I picked up family from the coach station on xmas week, the same white minibus/taxi was parked in the drop-off zone, no driver nor passengers visible for the several minutes I observed it.

snaps

I'm really surprised this has never been brought up before. Before I moved abroad, I used to drop of my wife and kids there, along with prams, luggage etc. Once when I blocked in a taxi driver there trying to unload my family, he got very abusive. I took his number and reported to gardai, but nothing ever came of it. The taxi driver only got worked up when I pointed out to him it was a drop off point and not a taxi rank. This was about 18 months ago.

Eireann81

http://connachttribune.ie/taxi-drivers-anger-lack-rank-station/

swiftman

it was proposed by the Fianna Fail councillors that €50,000 be earmarked for a taxi rank at the bus station, but this was rejected.

Looks like fianna fail still living in the celtic tiger days. Crazy.
Isn't there a taxi office just outside the back door of the train station?
Also, how far is it from bus station to the taxi rank running from Richardson to o connells? Answer, not very far. That rank isn't full all the time but anytime after 2 it is well stacked

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Really it's a design problem, due to the whole bus station not having enough space, and too much of what is there being allocated to vastly under-used cycle parks.

Do you mean car park. Were is this vast cycle park at the New Coach station? Never heard of it?

Mrs OBumble

what_traffic wrote: »

Do you mean car park. Were is this vast cycle park at the New Coach station? Never heard of it?

This thread is about Galway Bus Station. I'm not sure how the Coach Station was thrown into the mix.

Photo of the bike parking area, from when it was first built. Hasn't changed much since.

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

This thread is about Galway Bus Station. I'm not sure how the Coach Station was thrown into the mix.

Photo of the bike parking area, from when it was first built. Hasn't changed much since.

Ah get it now. Now only if some of these stands were covered it would be perfect!

Zzippy

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

This thread is about Galway Bus Station. I'm not sure how the Coach Station was thrown into the mix.

Photo of the bike parking area, from when it was first built. Hasn't changed much since.

I passed that stand last week and there were at least 20 bikes parked there, in spite of the awful weather.

what_traffic

Why not just move the TAXI rank to the West of the Meryck? Load's of space there - can take out some of the precious car parking on that side. Easily accessible from the CIE train and bus station.

Mrs OBumble

Exactly.

And it could be put under the watchful eye of some CCTV too. The current racks have none. And despite Zzipp's statement about 20 bikes being there one day, that's still less than 1/2 full.

And the current placing sees cyclists (except those arriving by train) supposed to dismount and wheel their bikes over a significant amount of footpath to get there. We all know that ain't going to happen.

inisboffin

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Exactly.

And the current placing sees cyclists (except those arriving by train) supposed to dismount and wheel their bikes over a significant amount of footpath to get there. We all know that ain't going to happen.

Yeah the placing is sh*te, but in fairness it is hard enough to walk a bike in when it's busy, never mind cycle on the path - I've no idea how a cyclist could even try to cycle on the footpath, there's no room!

snubbleste

what_traffic wrote: »

Why not just move the TAXI rank to the West of the Meryck? Load's of space there - can take out some of the precious car parking on that side. Easily accessible from the CIE train and bus station.

Because it is CIE property

Unrealistic

snubbleste wrote: »

Because it is CIE property

And CIE, if it was serious about attracting more passengers on its services, would provide a taxi rank on its property for the convenience of those prospective passengers.

The planning permission grants for both the new coach station and the revamped Ceannt Station should have included an obligation to provide a taxi rank.

KevR

snubbleste wrote: »

Because it is CIE property

Imagine Dublin Airport not providing a taxi rank, bus stops or coach parking on their property...

what_traffic

It's easily fixed.
Just move the TAXI rank to the West of the Meryck?
Here:
https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.2738601,-9.0485307,3a,90y,90h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sn31oltsN1Ump3fcvH5CK7Q!2e0?hl=en

Were you can see the tail end of the Bus Eireann Bus.

Julabo

Taxis double parking, using dropping off zones etc have wrecked my head for years.

They are always the first to beep you out of it on the road, so anytime I see a taxi plate do something annoying, I hit the horn. Get abuse for it, but glad that I have displayed my disapproval.