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An Accident Waiting To Happen?
December 3rd, 2009
An Accident Waiting To Happen?
Our intrepid Wisbech Standard reporters have come up with a real doozy (colloquialism) this week. This is about the big debate over the future of Wisbech’s taxi rank. No, wait, please don’t yawn and switch off … to the town this is an important issue, to the taxi users and drivers this matters and there are some interesting points emerging which would benefit from discussion.
I’ve stayed well clear of this argument until now because it’s something of a local minefield, but I’ve decided to break my silence simply because the whole debate seems to have gone somewhat awry.
Before I start, since when does the chairman of a committee go to the press and complain about the decisions taken by that committee? If I was on a committee and that was done to me I’d take a very dim view of it indeed. I’m sure the councillor in question was very frustrated that the outcome wasn’t what he’d hoped for (its a feeling I share on many occasions in committees and meetings) but it’s a tricky thing this democracy. You can’t command it into position and instruct how the chips will fall. The only thing that taking the debate to the press will achieve is division. If you are a chairman and have a problem with your committee – you tell them! You discuss the issue with your colleagues directly, or at a group meeting. While I understand the councillor’s pique, I think engaging in this way was a mistake. Which is odd because the councillor in question usually exhibits excellent judgement. I think we have to put it down to a spur-of-the-minute decision in anger. I’ve been there, it’s easy to do!
“But hold on!” I hear you say. “Aren’t you doing the same thing by publishing this in your blog?” Well, not really. I’m not on the committee in question, in fact I’m not employed by Fenland District Council at all. I’m a county councillor and so my only direct relationship with the district councillors is as part of the NE Cambs Conservative Group (a group to whom I am proud to belong!) As such I feel I can speak with an external perspective. Plus, I’m not angry. Just interested.
I have to say that on the issue of the taxi rank I don’t really have a firm opinion (since its not my decision, this doesn’t really matter). It’s strange to say: “Let us hope nothing happens in the next two months involving a fatality or serious injury involving buses or taxis” as was quoted in the paper this week. It’s a valueless comment because we all hope that of every location, every day. Is there a road somewhere in Fenland where we’d quite like to see a fatality involving buses or taxis? Of course there isn’t. The fact is, there apparently hasn’t been a fatal accident of this type involving a taxi before in this location. So why the sudden fear for people’s safety now? Why indeed?
I’m sorry to sound like a worn-out old record (for the kids: a record is a vinyl disk that used to be used to store music on, in the old days… ) but is this the good old European Union at work again? A birdy tells me that EU Regulations now say that buses must be able to turn around in a bus station without reversing in order to protect the public. Now whether you think that’s a good principle or not, the fact is that surely we can decide the safety protocols in our bus stations ourselves? Not anymore. Get used to this sort of thing, we’ll be seeing a whole lot of it in future. The taxi rank is the target today. What about tomorrow?
In the end, the council do own the land. If they want to move the taxis a few hundred feet up the road then that’s really their decision. The taxi drivers do themselves no favours by failing to listen to advice they are given by local councillors who are friendly to their cause, but their opinion should certainly carry weight. It is really, really unhelpful to say about committee members: “I wonder where their loyalties lie, with the taxi drivers or the general public?” (as was also quoted in the paper this week). Shouldn’t councillor’s loyalties lie with both? Keeping business prosperous in town, keeping the public safe, these are not mutually-exclusive goals. It also presumes that the opinion of every member of the public is the same as that of the person making the statement, which I doubt.
That said, it does sound a lot safer to separate the taxis and the buses. While the accident record there is very good, I’ve harped on before about pro-active safety rather than letting spilt blood be the dictator of where changes are made. So in that respect, you’ve got to applaud there being a debate about this. Nor do I necessarily agree that a move to the new location (a bare stone’s throw, if The Case public house is selected) would necessarily be ‘a disaster’ for the taxi drivers. There are taxi ranks next to busy pubs all over the country and the world doesn’t end. In fact, such a convenient pick-up point might be effective in countering drunk-driving.
So what this boils down to is a tricky issue. I’m actually rather pleased to hear that the committee decided to postpone a decision until they’ve had their site visit and considered all the views. I think it speaks well of the District Council and of the committee members. When people’s livelihoods may be at stake, and people’s safety may be on the line, the best decision is the right decision. If that takes a little more time, so be it.
Ps. If only all taxi cabs looked like this! 
6 Responses to “An Accident Waiting To Happen?”
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I could not agree more Steve. As a person who does not own a car I find myself using buses and taxis often. Most oif the time I call a taxi to pick me up at y current location (if I am paying for a taxi I may as well get them to come to me) but to be honest even if I did walk to the taxi rank first as long as the it is in town I would not care where it was.
Steve,
I am a member of the Licensing Committee at FDC and I can assure you I and others take a dim view of the Chairmans remarks to the Wisbech Standards.It really is a case of throwing his toys out of his pram.
Jan French
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response: Welcome to my blog Jan. Thanks for taking the time to visit and comment! It’s good to see colleagues here.
Those black london cabs are sexy sexy. I have a fantasy about them. want to hear it? lol xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response: I almost answered ‘yes’ but then I thought better of it.
Testing Testing 1 – 2 – 3
Custom Avatars ahoy!
Isn’t the blog title “an accident waiting to happen” a reference to the chairman of the committee ?
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response: Now, now. Be nice.
Well actually, I was being as nice as I could possibly manage. The … (self moderated)…… No I’ll stop, after all isn’t Winterval the season of good will to all ?
p.s. If we had picys we might finally get a glimpse of Supermum. I know you’d like that.
Moderator (Steve Tierney)’s Response: Depends…