Door-to-door cab service: New taxi ranks for late-night traders

Two new taxi ranks, operating from 11pm to 3.30am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, are the latest initiative to tackle alcohol-related crime in the central business district.

Thanks to $140,000 funding from the federal government’s Taxi Security Scheme, Orange City Council will install signage and CCTV cameras for the taxi ranks in Summer Street near the Hotel Orange and Lords Place near the Occidental.

A third camera will be installed at the existing Lords Place taxi rank meaning the CBD will have 19 cameras.

Hotel Orange owner/licensee John Fabar said his security staff would supervise the Summer Street taxi rank and the new CCTV camera would be in addition to a camera already on the hotel’s awning.

“It will definitely make a difference, but the taxis have got to use them,” he said.

“You’ll get home a lot quicker ... it’s worth it for people’s safety.”

Mr Fabar said forcing patrons to walk to the existing taxi rank had been “a very big problem”.

“They have to line up, wait in the cold weather and you’ve got people pushing and shoving,” he said.

“You can imagine what happens”

Orange Taxis chairman Darryl Curran said drivers supported the new three-car ranks.

“I didn’t think there’d been a problem at all, but the pubs have requested them,” he said.

“I can see the benefit of picking them up out the front [of the hotels].

“It happens in Bathurst and Dubbo and it works.”

Mr Curran said the new ranks were unlikely to get patrons home faster, but would save them walking an extra 500 metres, minimise vandalism and stop groups congregating at the Lords Place rank.

He said CCTV cameras acted as a deterrent, but drivers already felt safe in the city.

“Our biggest issue was we wanted security guards involved for driver safety and [the hotels] have agreed to that,” he said.

Canobolas Local Area Command, Superintendent David Driver said police appreciated the efforts of the Orange Liquor Accord members and council to reduce alcohol related crime.

“All these things contribute, there is not one magic answer,” he said.

“[CCTV] is another prong in the fork.

“I’m very pleased the key stakeholders are working with police in respect to this issue.”

Orange Liquor Accord chairman Bill Kelly said the migration of people from the Hotel Orange to the Lords Place taxi rank has been a big issue.

Community and cultural services director Scott Maunder said the federal government grant will fund an upgrade of the CCTV recording system and Wi-Fi connections.

Leftover money could fund future cameras including a potential camera at the Anson Street taxi rank near Woolworths. The proposed taxi ranks will go before the  traffic committee next month for approval.