I’m a cyclist and am fed-up of careless taxi drivers parking on yellow lines

A CITY has been engulfed in a war of words between cyclists and taxi drivers after cabbies began parking on double yellow lines and curbs.

A video filmed by a cycling activist in Worcester, Worcs., sparked mayhem after it lambasted a long line of cabs stretching far beyond a designated taxi rank.

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The helmet-camera clip, shared by Dan Brothwell, chair of Bike Worcester, shows one taxi almost fully mounted on the kerb.

And it outs a second cab for overhanging into a bus lane.

They are two of a line of six offending taxis – but activist Twitter page Badly Parked Worcester slammed the city council for the scenes which erupt “every weekend” on Foregate Street.

Despite the apparent regularity of the offending, the activist claims “nothing seems to change”.

Speaking to Worcester News, Mr Brothwell slammed: “I’d suggest publicly communicating to the drivers that this is unacceptable, followed up with fines if it continues.

“Clearly the double yellow lines indicate the taxis shouldn’t be parked there.”

He also accused the rule-flouting taxis that park on the curb of blocking the path of pedestrians on the pavement and making life misery for wheelchair and push chair users.

Mr Brothwell went on to lambasted the cabbies for “damaging” the curbs before going on to call out the pollution dangers posed by idling cars.

“From a cycling perspective, this forces me further out into the road increasing conflict with drivers”, he added.

Vehicles are also forced into a bus lane as the road becomes too narrow for two cars to pass when the taxis are parked up.

But local councillor Besherat Ali said cabbies have been left with “no choice” after being robbed of their spaces by private cars.

He said: “I have almost 100 taxi drivers in my ward alone and I know their concerns.

“Worcester City Council needs to be checking this area on weekends as a lot of the spaces for taxi drivers are being used by private cars.”

He sided with the cabbies arguing that it is virtually impossible for them to make a living if they have nowhere to park.

The Sun Online have approached Worcester City Council for comment.

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