Council to cut 35 taxi ranks in Auckland CBD

By RENEE KIRIONA

Visitors to Auckland will find it harder to find a cab in the city during the day if a proposal to reduce the number of taxi ranks goes ahead.

The aim is to improve road safety, says the Auckland City Council.

The proposal of the council's transport committee would reduce the taxi spaces in the CBD from 175 to 140 through either closure or reduced capacity at some stands.

Committee chairman Greg McKeown said the council was forced to address the issue of road safety because of excessive numbers of taxis and misbehaving cab drivers.

"I honestly believe there are too many taxis in the city and too many cab drivers doing illegal manoeuvres and parking illegally, causing danger on our roads.

"This [proposal] is ... about making the roads safe."

Despite the cuts, 107 night-time-only spaces would be made available to cab drivers through the use of loading zones.

But the Taxi Federation says the moves are not in the best interests of consumers and will not solve the problem of misbehaving taxi drivers.

"Trying to get a taxi during the day is going to be a mission, especially downtown," executive director Tim Reddish said.

"It will just force another 1000-2000 drivers to cruise the CBD looking for passengers. Imagine that in Queen St at peak times."

As of November last year, more than 2100 cabs, and about 7000 taxi drivers, serviced the CBD.

Both the council and federation agreed that since the industry was deregulated in 1989 the number of companies operating in the city had exceeded demand.

The council will decide on the proposal late next month.

Major cuts

* Albert St (Stamford Plaza Hotel), catered for four cabs.

* Customs St East (Downtown Shopping Centre), catered for four.

* Kitchener St (Metropolis), catered for six.

* Mayoral Drive (Carlton Hotel), catered for three.

* Quay St (by Ferry Building), catered for three.

* Wyndham St (west of Queen St), catered for three.

Others facing a cut in capacity:

* Hobson St (Sky Casino), reduced from five to three spaces.

* Victoria St West (Victoria Park Market), reduced from seven to four spaces.