Taxi firm boss slams lack of parking spaces in town centre

The owner of a taxi company has called on the council to improve provisions in Sudbury town centre, as 79 Hackney carriages struggle to park in just eight dedicated spaces.

Brendan Flynn, who owns BMF Taxis, says the issue of parking in East Street has been ongoing for over a decade and, despite conversations with the Babergh licencing team and Suffolk County Council, he feels he is not being listened to.

He said that drivers have received tickets for parking on the double yellow lines when spaces were not available, but that the only other option for them is to drive around the town wasting fuel and causing environmental damage.

Taxis parked on East Street (Image: Newsquest)

"It is very very frustrating, as you can appreciate, when people are out there trying to earn money," Mr Flynn said.

"We've been onto licencing and they said it is not their problem. Suffolk County Council also said it's not their problem. We've been bounced from pillar to post over the years.

A BMF taxi waiting in the parking area on East Street (Image: Newsquest)

"If there's eight spaces and 79 taxis there's a problem, isn't there? Anyone with a brain would say 'hang on a second here'.

"When you've got five or six traffic wardens descending on people just trying to earn a living it is not fair.

"They keep moving us on and moving us on and just yesterday my drivers got two tickets."

Taxis at the side of the road in East Street (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Flynn, who operates 16 taxis in the town, said the costs of taxi licences, alongside the fuel costs added from driving around due to the lack of parking spaces, is making it difficult to continue.

"They are certainly putting me off carrying on with this job and trying to provide a service," he said. "There's no support whatsoever."

A Babergh District Council spokesperson said: “While it is Suffolk County Council which designates new taxi ranks, we do recognise additional spaces are needed and will continue to work with them and the trade to see how the problem can best be addressed.”

A Suffolk County Council spokesperson said: "We will continue to work with Babergh District Council to consider and review the options available to overcome the concerns."