Euston cab rank 'virtually impossible' to access

Black-cab drivers say a new cab rank at Euston railway station is "virtually impossible" to get into and the layout needs changing.

The cab rank has been built in front of the station but cabbies say driving from the west on Euston Road means they can't access it without long detours or potentially dangerous U-turns.

They say it means at busy times, passengers can be left waiting hours at the rank for a cab.

Transport for London (TfL) says it recognises that taxis play an important role in the capital's transport network, and that it met the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association (LTDA) regularly and would continue to discuss its concerns.

Steve Kenton, who has been a black-cab driver for 34 years, took us on the route he has to take to get on to the new cab rank.

Heading west along Euston Road, he shows us the U-turn cabbies have to do to get back to the station.

"You still can't access the station as there is no left turn into it," he told BBC London.

"The U-turn is not my favourite manoeuvre; you are relying on a bit of goodwill. It is adding about 15 minutes for one pickup. If you can't get the U-turn it can take longer.

"It's ludicrous, it should not be happening."

He says many cabbies are avoiding the rank.

"The reason the queues are so long is that left turn from the west is not there. It is ridiculously frustrating.

"If I'm coming from the west, I avoid entering Euston station if I'm empty. It is too much aggravation, it takes too long and potentially the manoeuvre you need to do is not the safest in the world."

Euston station is being redeveloped to house the terminus for the high-speed rail line, HS2.

Hundreds of homes and businesses were demolished to make way for the line, and the area has been blighted by years of disruption.

But work was mothballed for two years by the previous government.

The current Labour government has confirmed HS2 will come to Euston, but there is no indication yet what the design for the area will be. The design was meant to include affordable homes and businesses.

Steve McNamara, from the LTDA, says it is more vulnerable passengers who are suffering the most.

"The reality is they have designed a taxi rank here at Euston station that isn't impossible to get into, but it's virtually impossible to get into.

"You either have to do an illegal move - a dubious U-turn - or you have to go a 15 or 20-minute diversion to get here.

"Obviously when it's busy and there's people on the streets, taxis don't get here. So what tends to happen is the able-bodied people abandon the queue, hail a cab in the street, leaving the disabled and elderly here waiting for a cab for hours."

He says the solution is very simple.

"We used to be able to do a left turn into Church Way. It just needs the prohibition on the left turn lifted.

"TfL tell us that is a traffic order, it could take six months. Camden [council] say talk to TfL, TfL say talk to HS2. HS2 say talk to Network Rail. Network Rail say talk to Camden. It's like a Monty Python sketch.

"They cannot get their act together and as a result of that it's passengers that are suffering."

A TfL spokesperson said: "We are committed to ensuring Londoners can move around the capital as safely, sustainably and efficiently as possible, and recognise that taxis play an important role in the capital's transport network, in particular for those with accessibility issues."