Trial taxi rank relocation a success

The trial for relocating the taxi rank at Watford Junction Station was a success – the town’s MP has announced. Following complaints from residents about taxis parking dangerously and blocking the tunnel to the station car park, MP Richard Harrington recently tested whether repositioning the taxi rank could improve traffic flow. It was also hoped the trial would decrease pressure on parts of the road, and open up part of the access road to enable people to have some drop off provision at the left hand side of the station. This followed months of meetings and discussions between the MP, Hackney Carriage Association, London Midland and others, about how the station could be opened up and the situation improved. The problems came about after a recent redesign of the forecourt, which has been heavily criticised. Mr Harrington said: “I am pleased that London Midland and the council are now accepting that something has to be done to improve access to Watford Junction Station. I have received numerous complaints and feel very strongly that a station design which requires people to drive away from the entrance to access the drop off area, and a bus forecourt with an entrance too narrow for many buses, is clearly not right and has to be rectified. “Whilst I did hope that this could have been done sooner, I would like to thank the Hackney carriage Association for their help with the trial, and am glad that we are now one step close to improvements being made.” Read more in March’s My Watford News.