TAXI drivers in York say they are losing 80 per cent of their custom after being relocated to a temporary rank.

Alterations currently being carried out to Stonebow House mean City of York Council has had to close St Saviourgate rank.

Drivers have been relocated to a nearby spot in Garden Place.

The changes started at the beginning of last week, and are due to last until the middle of February, but drivers say the relocation is hitting them hard.

Saf Din, chairman of the York Hackney Carriage Drivers’ Association, said he and other drivers had lost 80 per cent of their business in the days since the move, due largely to inappropriate signage.

Although there are two large, yellow signs nearby – at the top of Fossgate and Garden Place – he said drivers felt not enough had been done to alert the public to the St Saviourgate rank move.

He said: “Normally, I’ll do £20 per hour in St Saviourgate, and I’ve done about £5 per hour here.

“No-one knows we’re here, we’re unhappy about the signs and we think the council could do more to make people aware of it. They need to engage in more proactive consultation in the future rather than tell us at the last minute.”

Mr Din said while there would ordinarily be 50 to 60 drivers using the St Saviourgate rank on an ordinary day, only 10 to 12 were using the temporary rank.

He said this was also due to restrictions on vehicles turning into the street, with drivers forced to pick up fares then perform a turn in the road before exiting into Stonebow.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said the change was necessary as the St Saviourgate rank could not be used while Stonebow House was being developed.

She said: “Although it isn’t a statutory requirement to create a temporary rank when one is closed, we agreed to set one up and had two meetings with taxi organisations to discuss the requirements of and to support their drivers and customers.

“The location of the temporary rank is clearly signed from the site of the permanent rank on St Saviourgate, with supporting signage to assist customers along the stretch of road between the two ranks. However, the signs have been moved on a number of occasions by an unknown person or persons.”