'Every second day there's a crime... we just want the trouble to stop'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Taxi drivers are calling for barriers outside Stockport station after claiming to get "daily" abuse from other drivers trying to park at the rank.

Barriers similar to those outside Manchester Piccadilly station are needed to stop other vehicles from blocking areas designated for taxis, drivers say, as well as more traffic warden patrols and CCTV cameras.

Stockport Taxi Association told the Manchester Evening News taxi drivers "don't feel safe" at the station after facing verbal and physical abuse. READ MORE: Ex-Harrop Fold headteacher and Educating Greater Manchester star Drew Povey banned from teaching Tauqir Chaudhry, chairman of the association, said: "Every second day we get a crime reference number from the police...

damage to our cars and injuries. "People regularly park their vehicles on the taxi rank [on Station Road], the bus stops, and places where they aren’t allowed, due to this many incidents, which include physical fights, injuries, and damages to vehicles, take place." Asim Javed is a taxi driver who has been working in Stockport for seven years, and said the problem is often caused by non-taxis trying to find an easy place to pick up friends or family members from the station. "Sometimes we're about to move off and people are trying to get in and park next to us on the taxi rank," he explained. "It's very dangerous, we just want the trouble to stop. "We need a traffic warden here every day.