Cabbie out of pocket after collision with lorry (From York Press)

Cabbie out of pocket after collision with lorry

9:45am Wednesday 29th August 2007

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A TAXI driver has hit out after a lorry caused hundreds of pounds of damage to his vehicle as it was parked on a rank in an access-only road.

Graham Newbold, 60, of Sixth Avenue, in Heworth, York, said he was "very annoyed" after the lorry took part of the taxi's bumper off, and damaged the driver's side wing, when it was trying to get through St Saviourgate last Thursday morning.

Mr Newbould said he was concerned about losing wages for the three days so that the taxi would be in for repairs, which are expected to cost about £650.

"I just feel very annoyed about the damage, and I'm worried about losing wages. Why should we lose out to wagons that shouldn't be down there," he said.

"Wagons are too big to be going down there - that's the main problem.

"The wagon was on the footpath - that's how wide he was.

"The driver wasn't going too fast, because he parked up, and we watched him out. He went on to the path, and we thought he had got round, but the wagon just hit me."

Mr Newbold called for City of York Council to stop other vehicles from parking on the rank.

Judy Horwell, police liaison officer for York Taxi Association, said St Saviourgate was being used as a rat run for people to get into town, because they could not get through the rising bollard at the end of Stonebow.

"They turn around and shoot through St Saviourgate, and nine times out of ten they go through at speed," she said.

"The problem's been going on for two or three years - it's an accident waiting to happen.

"It needs more policing, but to be fair, I don't know what else they can do - a sign's been put in, but people are ignoring it.

"But there's no point making the road access only with no enforcement of that."

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said it was aware of some unauthorised parking problems on the rank, and that anyone who left their vehicle there would receive a parking ticket. A police spokeswoman said: "We are aware of the problem and it is monitored periodically but it does not merit a permanent police presence."

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