Weymouth taxi drivers say roadworks are killing their trade (From Dorset Echo)

Weymouth taxi drivers say roadworks are killing their trade

7:00pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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TAXI drivers in Weymouth say town centre road works authorised by the borough council are killing their trade.

Cabbie Eddie Hawkins is among dozens of local drivers who say recent works at the St Thomas Street ranks stopped them from doing their jobs and making money for their families.

Mr Hawkins, who has driven Hackney carriages in the town for 20 years, said Weymouth and Portland Borough Council failed to notify drivers that the works were happening.

He said: “This has been an ongoing problem.

“Myself and some other drivers turned up last week to start work only to find a big hole in the ground.

“We couldn’t do our jobs.”

Mr Hawkins added that the St Thomas Street ranks have been in use for eight years and have been blocked in the past by skips and discarded building materials.

He added: “We can lose up to two or three hours’ trade per night.”

Fellow cabby Tony Bennett added: “We’ve got a living to make and this is just killing our trade.”

A spokesman for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council said: “Essential works were carried out by Dorset Drainage Ltd to facilitate drainage to be connected to a private property in St Thomas Street.

“The council is not duty bound to notify taxi drivers when bays are taken out of use.

“The council was obliged to temporarily redirect traffic through an evening-only use taxi bay to allow vehicles safe passage. The bay was out of use for four days.”