THEY are the driving force behind Sunderland’s growing night-time economy. JANE O’NEILL and her photographer meet some of the city’s late-night taxi drivers.
SITTING in bumper to bumper traffic, it was more like rush hour than early Sunday morning.
But as drunken revellers weaved in and out of the cars, clutching cartons of chips, there was no mistaking a typical weekend in Sunderland.
I was being ferried round by one of the city’s 350 taxi drivers, giving me a passenger’s-eye view of Sunderland’s night-time economy.
Merry party-goers in their best outfits laughing, smoking and flirting on the city streets could be in anywhere in the UK.
But the sheer volume of traffic took me by surprise, as it did my passenger, Coun Robert Oliver.
He’d come along for the ride after being approached by members of the taxi community living in his ward.
Our journey began at 1.30am, when bars were closing and the streets were just beginning to fill up.
There was plenty of rowdy behaviour, but we saw little in the way of violence.
Ambulance crews and police attended minor incidents in Park Lane and Green Terrace
But late night traffic jams in these areas are on the increase and could be deadly, says our driver, Graeme Storey.
Graeme has been working the ranks of the city for 16 years and shares his views on traffic congestion, as we queue patiently in Derwent Street.
“A couple of weeks ago a young gentleman collapsed on the pavement and it took the ambulance driver 15 minutes to get down.
“In the end another ambulance went to Park Lane and the paramedic ran down.
“Someone is going to get killed.”
In a bid to solve the problem, taxi drivers and bar owners in Sunderland are joining forces.
Cabbies and members of Pubwatch are calling for cars to be banned from Park Lane and Derwent Street after dark. The area currently outside the bars on Park Lane is not pedestrianised.
Instead performers and live music would entertain revellers.
Members of the Independent Hackney Carriage Operators of Sunderland (IHCOS), which represents a number of drivers in the city, say traffic congestion means access to Park Lane is impossible at night.
Bar staff parking near to work and gangs of boy racers posing outside the pubs mean taxis are left queuing up Derwent Street.
Drivers would like to see this replacing with a more continental setting, with local bands playing and drinkers able to relax outside in warm weather.
Instead, a new rank would be created in Holmeside, in addition to the super-rank in Park Lane, which would be outside of the proposed pedestrian area.
IHCOS co-founder Graeme said: “Derwent Street is one area we would love to see closed, even though we have a taxi rank down here.
“There are cars parked either side as a lot of the bar staff park here, even though they have free parking in Debenham’s car park.
“We want to see the whole area pedestrianised, get tables and chairs out and get some street entertainment.”
Michael Wilson, manager of Luma in Derwent Street and Pubwatch chairman, is backing the plans.
“Why not start with bank holidays and have it done properly, with the area fenced off, wrist bands and proper security to stop people taking drinks outside of the area,” he said.
“If it was pedestrianised, we could get a cafe culture going during the day, then extend the pavement licenses so people can have a drink outside past 10pm.
“If you are sitting having a drink or a coffee, you don’t want cars coming past and fumes.
“You go to Newcastle and there’s loads of cafes and street entertainment. If Newcastle can do it, then why can’t we?”
Coun Oliver added: “I think it is quiet a good idea to have a short area pedestrianised, which would give a more continental feel, but it does need the support of all the licence holders.
“It would probably be better if it had a time limit, like for a number of hours in the evening.”
And he expressed fears over night-time traffic jams.
“I am concerned that emergency vehicles might not be able to get round and I think the council needs to look at peak-hour congestion.”
But as drunken revellers weaved in and out of the cars, clutching cartons of chips, there was no mistaking a typical weekend in Sunderland.
I was being ferried round by one of the city’s 350 taxi drivers, giving me a passenger’s-eye view of Sunderland’s night-time economy.
Merry party-goers in their best outfits laughing, smoking and flirting on the city streets could be in anywhere in the UK.
But the sheer volume of traffic took me by surprise, as it did my passenger, Coun Robert Oliver.
He’d come along for the ride after being approached by members of the taxi community living in his ward.
Our journey began at 1.30am, when bars were closing and the streets were just beginning to fill up.
There was plenty of rowdy behaviour, but we saw little in the way of violence.
Ambulance crews and police attended minor incidents in Park Lane and Green Terrace
But late night traffic jams in these areas are on the increase and could be deadly, says our driver, Graeme Storey.
Graeme has been working the ranks of the city for 16 years and shares his views on traffic congestion, as we queue patiently in Derwent Street.
“A couple of weeks ago a young gentleman collapsed on the pavement and it took the ambulance driver 15 minutes to get down.
“In the end another ambulance went to Park Lane and the paramedic ran down.
“Someone is going to get killed.”
In a bid to solve the problem, taxi drivers and bar owners in Sunderland are joining forces.
Cabbies and members of Pubwatch are calling for cars to be banned from Park Lane and Derwent Street after dark. The area currently outside the bars on Park Lane is not pedestrianised.
Instead performers and live music would entertain revellers.
Members of the Independent Hackney Carriage Operators of Sunderland (IHCOS), which represents a number of drivers in the city, say traffic congestion means access to Park Lane is impossible at night.
Bar staff parking near to work and gangs of boy racers posing outside the pubs mean taxis are left queuing up Derwent Street.
Drivers would like to see this replacing with a more continental setting, with local bands playing and drinkers able to relax outside in warm weather.
Instead, a new rank would be created in Holmeside, in addition to the super-rank in Park Lane, which would be outside of the proposed pedestrian area.
IHCOS co-founder Graeme said: “Derwent Street is one area we would love to see closed, even though we have a taxi rank down here.
“There are cars parked either side as a lot of the bar staff park here, even though they have free parking in Debenham’s car park.
“We want to see the whole area pedestrianised, get tables and chairs out and get some street entertainment.”
Michael Wilson, manager of Luma in Derwent Street and Pubwatch chairman, is backing the plans.
“Why not start with bank holidays and have it done properly, with the area fenced off, wrist bands and proper security to stop people taking drinks outside of the area,” he said.
“If it was pedestrianised, we could get a cafe culture going during the day, then extend the pavement licenses so people can have a drink outside past 10pm.
“If you are sitting having a drink or a coffee, you don’t want cars coming past and fumes.
“You go to Newcastle and there’s loads of cafes and street entertainment. If Newcastle can do it, then why can’t we?”
Coun Oliver added: “I think it is quiet a good idea to have a short area pedestrianised, which would give a more continental feel, but it does need the support of all the licence holders.
“It would probably be better if it had a time limit, like for a number of hours in the evening.”
And he expressed fears over night-time traffic jams.
“I am concerned that emergency vehicles might not be able to get round and I think the council needs to look at peak-hour congestion.”
BIG Brother could be watching over taxis and their passengers.
Two cars in the IHCOS fleet have been fitted with CCTV cameras.
The £750 system records the inside and immediately in front of the car.
Drivers are not able to tamper with the security systems, and IHCOS say they are already proving their worth.
Graeme said: “We would like to see these in every vehicle in Sunderland.
“We’ve had some very positive comments, with people in the car asking if they book a CCTV cab to pick their daughters up, to make sure they are safe.
“It’s for the protection of both the passenger and the driver, in case of assaults, robberies or people running from fares.
“Any car which has it fitted has to agree to hand the system over to the police if it is needed in evidence and their are stickers on the car to warn CCTV is in operation”
IHCOS are applying for a grant in bid to kit out all their members with CCTV and say they will fundraise any extra cash needed.
Two cars in the IHCOS fleet have been fitted with CCTV cameras.
The £750 system records the inside and immediately in front of the car.
Drivers are not able to tamper with the security systems, and IHCOS say they are already proving their worth.
Graeme said: “We would like to see these in every vehicle in Sunderland.
“We’ve had some very positive comments, with people in the car asking if they book a CCTV cab to pick their daughters up, to make sure they are safe.
“It’s for the protection of both the passenger and the driver, in case of assaults, robberies or people running from fares.
“Any car which has it fitted has to agree to hand the system over to the police if it is needed in evidence and their are stickers on the car to warn CCTV is in operation”
IHCOS are applying for a grant in bid to kit out all their members with CCTV and say they will fundraise any extra cash needed.
PLAIN clothes enforcement officers are targeting rogue drivers in a sting operation.
Operation Pirate aims to crack down on the small number of private hire vehicles picking passengers up illegally.
Private hire vehicles cannot ply for trade or collect customers who have not pre-booked through their company’s office.
The practice – known in the trade as flimping – is a ongoing problem, claim hackney carriage drivers, who can be flagged down or work from ranks.
Sunderland City Council and Northumbria Police have joined forces with the taxi community to stamp out the flimpers.
The crackdown has resulted in a small number of people being caught and hack drivers have reported a rise in their takings when licensing officers are out on the streets.
During my early-morning tour, Graeme points out several private hire cars who he fears are working illegally, as their offices have closed for the night.
Drivers who are caught flimping face losing their licence, but spokesmen for the private hire industry say just a small number are to blame.
Tom Terrett, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, Sunderland City Council, said: “Licensing officers regularly monitor the activities of private hire vehicles waiting in the city centre on weekend nights.
“Their purpose is to deter and detect private hire drivers who may be illegally plying for hire i.e. picking up passengers without first having being booked.
“In the last three months seven such enforcement exercises have been undertaken during which enquiries have been made about the activities of approximately 50 private hire drivers. These enquiries discourage potential illegal pick ups.
“Additionally in this period, the council utilized undercover officers posing as passengers to hire the services of five private hire vehicles without bookings. Prosecutions of the drivers involved are currently being considered.
“In the previous 12 months, 17 enforcement exercises have been undertaken during which enquiries were made of over 300 drivers.”
Jim Hannan, who represents the City of Sunderland Private Hire Operators’ Association, encouraged people to use private hire cars properly.
“If people see a private hire vehicle in town displaying a telephone number, they can telephone the office who will radio the car and a legal booking can take place.”
Operation Pirate aims to crack down on the small number of private hire vehicles picking passengers up illegally.
Private hire vehicles cannot ply for trade or collect customers who have not pre-booked through their company’s office.
The practice – known in the trade as flimping – is a ongoing problem, claim hackney carriage drivers, who can be flagged down or work from ranks.
Sunderland City Council and Northumbria Police have joined forces with the taxi community to stamp out the flimpers.
The crackdown has resulted in a small number of people being caught and hack drivers have reported a rise in their takings when licensing officers are out on the streets.
During my early-morning tour, Graeme points out several private hire cars who he fears are working illegally, as their offices have closed for the night.
Drivers who are caught flimping face losing their licence, but spokesmen for the private hire industry say just a small number are to blame.
Tom Terrett, Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, Sunderland City Council, said: “Licensing officers regularly monitor the activities of private hire vehicles waiting in the city centre on weekend nights.
“Their purpose is to deter and detect private hire drivers who may be illegally plying for hire i.e. picking up passengers without first having being booked.
“In the last three months seven such enforcement exercises have been undertaken during which enquiries have been made about the activities of approximately 50 private hire drivers. These enquiries discourage potential illegal pick ups.
“Additionally in this period, the council utilized undercover officers posing as passengers to hire the services of five private hire vehicles without bookings. Prosecutions of the drivers involved are currently being considered.
“In the previous 12 months, 17 enforcement exercises have been undertaken during which enquiries were made of over 300 drivers.”
Jim Hannan, who represents the City of Sunderland Private Hire Operators’ Association, encouraged people to use private hire cars properly.
“If people see a private hire vehicle in town displaying a telephone number, they can telephone the office who will radio the car and a legal booking can take place.”
Post Originally Written for the Sunderland Echo
See Also: Taxi-Plying for hire in Sunderland
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