
Fresh drainage surveys in Southampton City Centre, at the busy junction of Above Bar, New Road, and Civic Centre Road have sparked a backlash from local traders who say constant disruption is driving people away.
While Southampton City Council confirmed the works will take place overnight from February 16 to February 20, those working on the ground warn the impact will be felt around the clock.
Jason Watling-Mccarthy, landlord of The Painted Wagon pub, claims the works are a "massive" blow during an already tough winter.
He reports a 20 per cent drop in footfall compared to last year, blaming the council’s "scatter gun approach" to road improvements.
"These works are certainly going to affect our deliveries," he said, adding that "there are no positives to these works for local business like ours – it just massively reduces footfall."
He believes the endless construction and lack of parking are actively discouraging visitors from entering the city.
Taxi drivers are equally worried about the fallout. Perry McMillan noted that the location is a vital hub for both daytime and night-time trade, and the diversions will make reaching taxi ranks a struggle.
"These works will delay drivers like myself getting to the taxi rank and big road works like this are always destructive to our business," he warned.
While he urged the public to "be patient with us while these works are complete," his main hope is that the council finishes the project quickly before more damage is done to the local economy.

Kelvin Ndoro, 41, lured the victim into his car in Nottingham city centre in the early hours of the morning by offering her a lift home.

The initial phase will see 100 fully autonomous vehicles hit the roads, with plans to eventually expand the fleet to more than 1,000 taxis.

As major redevelopments such as the Avenues project and George Square upgrades move forward, the city's fleet of hackney drivers say the sheer volume of construction is strangling trade.

A Bradford private hire driver has criticised the city council after 100s of motorists fined for using bus lanes on Christmas and New Year’s Day - dates many believed were exempt from enforcement.

In October 2024, a private hire vehicle was detected speeding in Somerset. 

Nottingham firm Ideal Cars have asked PHTM to share their complaint they recently sent by email to the Access to Work team.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, 8 February, a couple of passengers approached a taxi waiting on the rank in Wigan town centre and asked for a price to be taken to a club in Bolton.

The Australian case, brought by Rideshare Drivers Network, mirrors arguments rejected by UK courts, where Uber mischaracterised its relationship with drivers in to deny their statutory rights.

The proposal is designed to modernise the licensing system, reduce duplication, and improve efficiency while maintaining all required safety, knowledge, and training standards.

At Bolton Council’s licensing committee on January 6, the council highlighted its strict stance on driver conduct, resulting in one suspension and one final warning for the operators involved.

The council is considering new rules that would require taxi & PH firms to carry out criminal record checks on all staff members and notify passengers if their driver is licensed in a different town.

The incident took place just before 1am on Wednesday, February 4, on Mardale Road, where a taxi parked on a private driveway was set on fire.

Darren McCartney, a former prison officer and hostage negotiator, appeared before the North Ayrshire Licensing Committee following objections from Police Scotland regarding his criminal record.

Drivers are proposing to scrap the percentage-based surcharge in favour of entirely new, higher fixed tariffs for larger vehicles carrying up to eight people.

The St Annes-on-Sea operator has partnered with Greenway Power Group (GPG) and the Patons Group to provide the technology, which is also being made available for public use.

Officers stormed properties on February 5, detaining a woman, 42, and a man, 46, on suspicion of fraud; a man, 22, on suspicion of handling stolen goods; nd a man, 18, on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking.

Abdulsalam Idlebi was found in breach of discrimination policies following the incident at a taxi rank on Irvine’s Bank Street last November.

Police have issued a fresh plea for help exactly one year after the body of 47-year-old Jesbir Singh Khela was discovered in a burnt-out car.

The cost of a standard one-year driver’s licence would jump from £150 to £165, while those opting for a three-year licence would see prices climb from £240 to £264.

Less than a third of taxi drivers in Greater Manchester are using new government-funded grants to switch to electric vehicles, according to research by the Clean Cities Campaign.
