Taxis at Sheffield train station

[Beau Nidle]

Has anyone tried to get to the train station in Sheffield lately? I have to make the journey twice a week to get someone on a train, but there must be sometimes 30+ taxis in the road leading to the station.

I know there are some building works going on around there, that are not helping matters, but the taxis situation is ludicrous.

Anyone care to comment?

[haddy]

Its a hazard but doubt anything will happen about it

[*_ash_*]

Has anyone tried to get to the train station in Sheffield lately? I have to make the journey twice a week to get someone on a train, but there must be sometimes 30+ taxis in the road leading to the station.

I know there are some building works going on around there, that are not helping matters, but the taxis situation is ludicrous.

Anyone care to comment?

 

All of the road up to the entrance to the station is marked as taxi rank in the road.

 

What causes the congestion in there, is people queuing/waiting in the drop off ONLY zone, to pick people up. Almost everyone seems to do it, and it creates havoc.

[Event Horizo]

Why don't you just drop them off near the showroom cinema on paternoster row??? Alot easier and they just walk across the road to get there.

[ECCOnoob]

Dont think there is much to comment on is there. They might be in very awkward spots they dont actually block the road in and out.

 

Where exactly are they supposed to go. When an intercity train pulls in I can put money on those 30 waiting taxis been gone in minutes.

 

They got rid of a perfectly good taxi rank and replaced it with a silly loop which fits less than 10% of the number in it. If those taxis were sent on thier way the queues of people waiting whilst a handful at a time drive in periodically would be horrendous.

 

There is no other despatch system for black cabs so we are pretty much stuck with it. This problem is certainly not just a Sheffield thing. Take a look at the roads in and out of any major station and its just the same.

Edited November 2, 2016 by ECCOnoob

[Andy C]

Has anyone tried to get to the train station in Sheffield lately? I have to make the journey twice a week to get someone on a train, but there must be sometimes 30+ taxis in the road leading to the station.

I know there are some building works going on around there, that are not helping matters, but the taxis situation is ludicrous.

Anyone care to comment?

 

They should only be on the taxi lanes and not blocking access to the car park

[horribleblob]

All of the road up to the entrance to the station is marked as taxi rank in the road.

 

What causes the congestion in there, is people queuing/waiting in the drop off ONLY zone, to pick people up. Almost everyone seems to do it, and it creates havoc.

 

I drop off relatives/friends at least once a fortnight at the station and you are spot on, *_ash_*.

 

When I pick the same people up from the station, I take advantage of the free 30 minutes available in the adjacent Q-Park multi-storey.

 

Perhaps this option isn't advertised enough, or the "drop off only" zone is not enforced enough.

[Dozer]

I don't see the situation improving without someone directing traffic around the drop off spot.

 

But does Sheffield ever have people directing traffic, anywhere? Most major cities do at busy events (sporting, religious, concert) and transportation hubs, but I don't think I've ever seen it here. I've seen it in London, New York, San Francisco, Prague.

 

I think we are endlessly optimistic that people will behave well, or even know what behaving well looks like in these situations, and you can see the result.

[Daven]

Why don't you just drop them off near the showroom cinema on paternoster row??? Alot easier and they just walk across the road to get there.

 

This was my thought exactly and exactly what we do.

Why do people have such an aversion to having to walk such a short distance ?

[*_ash_*]

I drop off relatives/friends at least once a fortnight at the station and you are spot on, *_ash_*.

 

I know. It's not hard to notice! Most cars in the queue to get into the drop off zone are single occupancies or have a young baby in the car, so I assume they aren't dropping off the kid!

 

When I pick the same people up from the station, I take advantage of the free 30 minutes available in the adjacent Q-Park multi-storey.

 

You word this in a way that others don't see. (and tbh I don't blame them) - As a one-off and if I didn't know the area, I'd rather join them in the queue than go into a multi storey. If I did this regularly as you may do, I'd either use the car-park or across on Paternoster if possible.

 

Perhaps this option isn't advertised enough, or the "drop off only" zone is not enforced enough.

 

Bold: The signs are there. People take no notice.

 

Underlined: The whole thing was badly designed. No surprise then. I don't blame the drop off 'cheats', I did the same when I picked up my friend in August, even though with my taxi stickers on, I could have gone into the taxi area. I made sure she was there waiting before entering it though.

 

I don't think I could agree with fines for this. It doesn't go well with me when people are fined because of some moron who agreed to it, who really should be strung up, or at the very least, sacked. I do shout in the cab at these people, but I don't blame them, I don't necessarily blame the designer, I blame who choose to implement it.

 

---

 

I get annoyed when people always blame taxis for this. Do you think I (or my customer) want to be stuck for 20 minutes in this nightmare when my screen is advertising that it is busy and asking for people to bid for work? I'm sat there losing money, whilst other customers want my services!

 

Also, something people forget or don't know, (whether the OP knows or not, or any readers), the black cabs that pick up at the station pay a LOT of money to be able to pick up there.

 

Do you think they want to be stuck in an unnecessary traffic jam?

 

When I'm going to the station anti-clockwise on the ringroad I always turn left onto Shoreham St (even when the other day a customer said to me 'the signs say straight ahead for the station' (near Jet Centro). I know the queue in front of Columbia Place is ALWAYS busier than my choice. (btw it's no difference in fare)

 

This was my thought exactly and exactly what we do.

Why do people have such an aversion to having to walk such a short distance ?

 

I can generally tell if a customer is a regular to the station and if it is at the bad times, and unless heavy luggage or noticeably disabled, I suggest this option, and most prefer it.

 

---------- Post added 02-11-2016 at 22:51 ----------

 

I think we are endlessly optimistic that people will behave well, or even know what behaving well looks like in these situations, and you can see the result.

 

Also spot on

Edited November 2, 2016 by *_ash_*