AT a time when the taxi industry is “on its knees”, a Salisbury driver has received points on his licence for parking next to an already full taxi rank.

With less demand for taxis as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown, Kevin Dorrington, of Classic Cabs, said more taxis are parked at the rank in the city centre, along New Canal, waiting for customers.

He said this has caused a decline in free parking spaces, and those unsuccessful in using an allocated spot, spilling on to the neighbouring loading bay, are reported by Wiltshire Council.

Kevin received three points on his licence because of incorrect parking, and he says the council is refusing to void it despite his explanations.

He added that a second warning could result in the revoking of his taxi licence.

“As you can imagine [the taxi service is] on its knees at the moment - there’s no hotels, no restaurants and no one was going to school,” he said.

“Most of us are lingering to catch people finishing their essential shops, but the council is taking pictures of taxis on phones and then saying that’s three points on the licence.”

“We’re trying so hard to make an honest living, you’d think they would give us a break,” he added.

The taxi industry has taken a hit during the pandemic, with Kevin only making around £14 on one particular day.

Kevin added that the taxi rank should be temporarily extended to accommodate the need for spaces during this time.

“As soon as stuff starts to reopen we will be fine – in the meantime there is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to use these spaces,” he said.

Kevin said that he, alongside other taxi drivers, had reported the issue to Salisbury MP John Glen, who told the Journal he has spoken to the council on behalf of the businesses.

He said: “I have made representations to the council on behalf of taxi drivers who feel that increasing competition for space on the ranks has left them short of legal places to stop and pick up fares.

“I am concerned by reports that some drivers have received multiple penalties, putting their livelihoods at risk.

“It is the duty and the prerogative of the council to act in the interests of all road users and to apply the rules fairly and consistently but I would hope that there is room for dialogue with drivers to understand the unusual challenges they face in the current situation.”

Sam Fox, Wiltshire Council's corporate director for place and environment, recognised this has been "a very challenging time" for taxi drivers, and parking will be reviewed to ensure there are "sufficient spaces".

The statement said: “Taxis have been a vital service for many communities throughout the pandemic, and with the reduction in non-essential journeys we know that this has been a very challenging time for the industry, and we will continue to do all we can to support local businesses.

“However, the use of loading bays by taxis is not appropriate, as they play a vital role in supporting local commercial businesses, and we must manage the use of public open spaces appropriately to maximise the benefit to all users.

“We have continued to review the availability of parking during the pandemic to ensure access is adequate, and as lockdown is eased, we hope to see the use of taxis increase. However, we will review the parking arrangements again to ensure there are sufficient spaces for taxis."

The director added that taxi licences would only be reviewed following "persistent infringements".

The statement continued: “We operate a Taxi Points Scheme when there are minor infringements to licencing. The scheme is there to improve taxi drivers’ awareness as, once aware, they know to comply with the legal requirement to not park in a loading bay, and we focus on education rather than enforcement.

"Only where there are persistent infringements would we review a taxi licence.”

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