Island Echo always welcome letters to the editor, which may of course not reflect the views of the publication and its staff.
Letter to the editor – 18th March 2021
I live at Furlong’s, Newport, and due to health problems often used to get a taxi home from the old Taxi rank, outside Sports Direct.
Today I got a taxi home from the new temporary rank at the old carpark, by the library. This I here is going to be there for at least 6 months.
Article continues below this advertisement Due to its new location, my the Taxi had to travel through the bus station, along a one way system, around Church litter Park, onto Medina Avenue, and along the Marks and Spencer’s Road, only to end up a pavement distance away from where my journey began. This took about 5 minutes as luckily the traffic was quite and the 3 to five sets of traffic lights were in our favour by being green.
By the time I arrived at my home, the fare was £6, whereas in the past it used to be only £4 on a good day. I dread to think what the price will be when the Covid Restriction are over and traffic gets back to normal or if you get a taxi during the rush hour and school run times of day.
When I get the bus into Newport town centre, I have spent as long as 15 minutes extra on my journey time just going up the Medina Avenue and along the M&S Road due to heavier traffic and hitting all the traffic lights when Red.
To make things even worse, ALL THE TRAFFIC coming into Newport along the St Georges Way road, will be diverted from the roundabout as you hit Newport, and along the Medina Avenue / M&S Road, due to a road closure for traffic works to be carried out over the next few months.
Because of this diversion for taxi’s and diverted traffic, it is possible on a bad day people will be paying as much as £2 to £3 extra on the journey. Great for taxi drivers but at there customers expense.
Article continues below this advertisement I have spoken to one Taxi firm about this and enquired about ordering a taxi to do a pick up at the end of M&S Road, so as to avoid paying to be in a cab 5 to 15 minutes with its meter running. Unfortunately, the answer was NO. I was told taxis are not allowed to collect customers along that road and if the do they can be fined if caught.
However, you can order a taxi to pick you up from in front of Lloyds pharmacy, on Pyle Street, which is a minute walk from the new rank. You may have to wait five or ten minutes for it to arrive but at least the cost will be cheaper as the meter gets turned on at arrival.
Mr R King
Newport
I had to read this several times to try and work out what Mr R King was on about. The M&S road? The old car park?
I’m assuming you mean you got into the taxi at Church Litten car park (opposite Iceland), travelled along Orchard St, then St James’ St, Medina Ave, then Church Litten.
You are correct.
Mind you, if you did catch a taxi from outside Sports Direct, you have the choice of either going left into St James Street to Medina Ave, or right into St James Square.
For those wanting to go towards St James Square, there is now only the long way round and a higher taxi charge.
Come to think about it, there is a taxi rank by the old Guildhall in the High St.
someone clearly has a lot of time on their hands and money to spend on taxis
If people dont want to pay the going rate for a taxi then dont get into one? Go and get a bus but from reading your letter you dont like the extra time it takes on the bus so you obviously cant be pleased. Some people just have something to moan about regardless.