Police have defended a ban on taxis collecting revellers from a string of nightspots, saying it should reduce drunken flare-ups.
Southend Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association has objected to the ban on cabbies in Herbert Grove and Lucy Road, home to nightclubs Talk, Chameleon and Zinc, between 9pm and 4am.
They are worried about the safety of girls leaving the clubs, who now have to walk to a taxi rank in nearby Seaway car park.
The association met with police and council representatives on Friday. After the meeting, Insp Richard Thomas confirmed the ban would not be lifted.
He said the safety of revellers and taxi drivers had previously been jeopardised by a combination of traffic congestion and binge drinkers leaving the clubs.
He said: "We hope the new restrictions will improve the safety of clubbers as they will no longer need to evade the passing traffic."
Taxi driver Paul Sutton did not think cabbies would be any safer from drunken assault under the new arrangement.
He said: "They have made a rod for their own backs. It would obviously still be a lot safer if just taxi drivers were allowed to pick people up from outside the clubs."
Published Monday July 12, 2004
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