A consultation will be held into plans to change the site of taxi ranks in Aberdeen city centre.
Messures put in place to improve safety for pedestrians through the Spaces for People initiative currently restrict vehicle access to some ranks.
Proposals have been drawn up to create five new sites for taxis to pick up passengers instead.
This would lead to the current Hadden Street and Back Wynd ranks being temporarily removed.
New ranks would be set up on Exchange Street, Rosemount Viaduct, Exchequer Row, Union Row and Justice Mill Lane.
The new locations were proposed by the city’s taxi working group and were identified as being the most appropriate sites.
Several streets have been closed to vehicles under Covid-19 measures, which means taxis cannot legally access ranks such as the one on the Back Wynd.
A council officer taking part in discussions at a council licensing board meeting yesterday said: “It’s being brought forward that due to the Spaces for People programme in the city centre there’s been a number of temporary changes made to taxi ranks on the streets listed, this has been due to physical distancing after the original lockdown, and is still persisting at the moment.
“The purpose of the report is to commence the process on a proper footing for the remainder of the time that the temporary traffic management works are in place.”
Concerns were brought forward by Councillor Gordon Townson that changes to some of the Spaces for People measures might be discussed at the next city growth and resources committee – due to meet in February.
The point was also raised by Councillor Miranda Radley.
Solicitor Sandy Munro said if measures are removed, then further consultation on ranks may be necessary.
He said: “If they go out for consultation and then there’s further developments, we can bring in some parts and not others.
“If nothing gets removed then we’re further down the line and we have to reiterate this process, I don’t think we have much to lose by starting the process a week or so early with the view to getting everything formalised that bit earlier when we know what the full story is.”
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