Posted on the 14th October 2025 in PHTM News

OXFORDSHIRE CABBIES FURIOUS ABOUT WITNEY'S HIGH STREET PLANS AND LOSING FOUR RANK SPACES

Taxi drivers in Witney are "furious" about the Oxfordshire County Council's proposed Witney "highway improvements" scheme, specifically the plan to drastically reduce the main taxi rank in Market Square.

The proposal includes general improvements such as a new zebra crossing and traffic calming features.

However, the plan to cut the Market Square taxi rank from seven to three spaces during the day is the core of the drivers' anger.

Drivers contend that this reduction will most impact vulnerable and elderly residents who rely on their service for town centre access.

Local driver Olivia Hickman stated: “Reducing the taxi rank by more than half is effectively shutting out vulnerable residents from the town centre. It’s not just about us as drivers. It’s about the people we serve." 

She added, “Without sufficient taxi spaces, people who cannot walk long distances, or who cannot use buses, will simply be left behind.” Hickman urged the public to participate in the consultation, which ends on Friday, October 17: https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/witney_highstmarketsq_highway2025

The County Council explained the downsize is required to accommodate "an extra bus stop" outside the Cross Quays public house on Market Square. This new stop, however, "could be used flexibly by cabbies to pick up passengers during weekday evenings, from 2 pm on Saturdays and all day on Sundays." 

Furthermore, the council said they are considering "suitable changes, which may include creating new taxi bays nearby."

Drivers remain opposed, with Mohammed Hasam, a five-year veteran, saying the current scheme will "make life a lot harder."

Abdul Hamid, from Tammi’s Taxis, questioned the council's conflicting actions: “If there isn’t enough space for taxi drivers, why are you giving out so many licences?"

Local politicians are pushing for reconsideration. Councillor Thomas Ashby suggested a structural change: “One solution to this would be for the taxi rank to be at a 45-degree angle, allowing more taxis to park up and serve those in our community who heavily rely on them."

Duncan Enright, Chairman of the Witney Traffic Advisory Committee, said councillors have instructed officers to find a solution, stressing: “The plans for the town centre must include respect for the role taxis play in public transport, particularly for older and more vulnerable people.”

Green Councillors Andrew Prosser and Sandra Simpson noted they were pleased that access to the high street for taxis "has been retained," adding that a "careful balance between the number of taxi bays, space for pedestrians, and other high street users such as blue-badge holders and buses" is necessary.


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