DUBLIN COUNCILLORS WILL today debate the need for 31 new taxi ranks in the city, some of which can only be used by taxis at night.
At present their are 110 24-hour taxi ranks in Dublin City Council areas but, after a public consultation, eight more have been proposed.
Seven of these are in what would be considered Dublin city while one is in Ballymun.
It includes two in Dublin’s Docklands, one of which is next to Google’s European headquarters on Barrow Street.
The street already has a taxi rank but it is regularly overcrowded. Proposals to pedestrianise part of the street were previously rejected.
The new permanent ranks to be voted on today are for the following streets:
Baggot Street Lower, Barrow Street, Burgh Quay, Cavendish Row, Eccles Street, Hanover Quay, Marlborough Place and Silloge Road.
Here they are:
Councillors will also decide on the addition of 23 more night-time ranks. There are already 35 such ranks in the city with taxis allowed to operate on them between 8pm and 6am.
Fianna Fáil say they are supporting the plans with party councillor Pat McAuliffe saying there isn’t enough space at the moment.
“Taxi drivers are being moved on by gardaí policing overflowing ranks,” he claims.
“The existing rank locations are insufficient and awkward for both drivers and passengers. These new proposals will go some way to accommodating the number of taxis in the city and addressing the city centre traffic caused by the LUAS cross city works.”
The Luas Cross City will connect the two red and green Luas lines and current work on the project has caused further traffic disruption in Dublin city centre.
Ahead of today’s vote, a public consultation was held as part of a review into taxi rank bye-laws. A total of 43 submissions were received with a significant number calling for additional ranks or the relocation of existing ranks.
“It is clear that there is a strong demand for more ranks in the city to cater for the level of demand from Dubliners and tourists, to ease the pressure on existing ranks,” says McAuliffe.
The new night-time ranks to be voted on today are for the following streets:
Baggot Street Lower, Bridge Street Lower (2 ranks), Capel Street, South Great George’s Street, Leeson Street Lower (2 ranks), Mount Street Lower, Ormond Quay Lower, Parliament Street (2 ranks), Phibsborough Road (2 ranks), Sackville Place, St. John’s Road West, St. Stephen’s Green South (4 ranks), Thomas Street and Wellington Quay (2 ranks).
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