Between 22nd November and 12th December, three parking spaces will be set aside in the town’s Forum car park specifically for taxi vehicles to pick up passengers. These spaces will be clearly signed and Cirencester Town Council has already erected notices around the market place guiding the public to this location. A further 4 spaces will be made available for taxi pick-ups outside the Bingham Gallery next to the Town Council Offices. This will be within a road closure area and under the control of Cirencester Town Council and their Christmas Market event organisers and stewards, who will also be on hand to provide details to the public about the locations of taxi pick-up points.
During the Christmas event, the Market Place will re-open to normal traffic at 6:00 pm from Sunday to Friday and at 7:00 pm on Saturday. From these times, taxis will be available for hire at the top taxi rank near the Church of St John the Baptist and the spaces outside the Bingham Gallery will not be available. However, the 3 spaces in the Forum car park will continue to operate as an alternative taxi rank.
Commenting on the arrangements, CDC’s Head of Public Protection, Kate Bishop, said:
“We had a meeting with the Town Council and representatives of the taxi traders to discuss concerns they had about the potential loss of trade in the lead up to and during the Christmas Market. We came to an amicable arrangement about the location of pick-up points, signage and the provision of information to the public, and we believe that this will now give sufficient reassurance to the taxi traders, as well as providing good access for the public who use taxis.”
Andrew Tubb, the Chief Executive at Cirencester Town Council, added:
“We estimate that the Christmas Market will attract 5,000 visitors per day to the town during the week and as many as 7,500 people will attend at weekends. I would expect that this will mean a greater demand for taxis and private hire vehicles. I’m confident that the temporary pick-up arrangements we have agreed with CDC and the taxi drivers’ representatives will ensure that they can trade effectively, enabling the public to benefit from the good standards of drivers, operators and vehicles that are licensed within the District.”
