More taxi marshals are on hand in Dalston in north London to help late night travellers get home safely. Marshals, based in Ridley Road, will help people flag down licensed cabs and even coordinate with people going to similar destinations.
The marshals will also give passengers not getting a cab tips on getting home safely. Hackney Council lobbied Transport for London (TfL) to turn loading bays into taxi ranks from 7pm to 7am. The new marshals already saw 569 passengers home in 267 cabs in the first weekend (October 31 and November 1). Hackney Council says that it’s working to strike a balance between a prosperous nighttime economy and quality of life for residents. Nighttime noise and other anti social behaviour can be an issue for residents, especially when they are trying to sleep in the early hours, the council admits.
Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor, Hackney Council, said: “Hackney is a popular place for a great night out. We want people to come and enjoy what Hackney has to offer, but we want them to get home quickly and safely. One of the ways to do this is to look for the Taxi Marshalls and take a licensed cab home. By having Taxi Marshalls in Dalston people will leave the area more quickly, helping those residents living nearby who can be subjected to noise and other anti-social behaviour from some people leaving bars and clubs late at night.”
The taxi ranks operate from the loading bay outside Boots, E8 2NS, near Dalston Kingsland Station and from the loading bay near Birthdays, N16 8BJ. The scheme is part of the Mayor of London’s Safer Travel at Night project, led by TfL and supported by Hackney Council. Local businesses in Dalston have also given money towards the cost of the scheme. The trial runs until Saturday, January 3, 2015.
