Keighley taxi firm parking problem wrangle

7:00am Saturday 23rd February 2013 in Keighley

Restaurant owner, Al Mirzaali, outside his businesses in Church Street, Keighley, which he says are being affected by private-hire vehicles parking in the street Restaurant owner, Al Mirzaali, outside his businesses in Church Street, Keighley, which he says are being affected by private-hire vehicles parking in the street

A Keighley restaurant boss has accused a neighbouring taxi firm of ruining his business.

Al Mirzaali, of Alfe’s in Church Street, said his customers faced a parking nightmare due to Metro, based just a few doors away.

“There is a car park behind the restaurant but people are always getting blocked in because the taxi drivers just leave their vehicles across the access,” said Mr Mirzaali, owner of the Ranch company, incorporating Alfe’s.

“When you ask them to move, they are begrudging about it and take their time – they simply don’t give a damn.

“There can be as many as ten to 15 taxis parked in the road.”

Mr Mirzaali added: “It is making things extremely difficult for us and is affecting the business. We are suffering.

“Lorries delivering to the premises are also experiencing difficulties. I have tried talking to Metro about it but they have no understanding.”

He said the problem had been going on for some time, but had worsened recently.

“A while ago I did raise the matter with the hackney carriage people at Bradford Council and the situation improved temporarily, but within a couple of weeks, things were back to the way they were,” he added.

Metro owner Stuart Hastings acknowledged there was an issue with parking in the street, but that it wasn’t of his firm’s making.

He said problems only arose after plans for a taxi business across the road were approved.

“Until then, everything was fine,” he said. “Rather than complaining about us, he should be asking questions of those who allowed another firm to open.

“We’ve been here 37 years – long before Alfe’s.

“It is ‘taxi lane’ here at night – I accept that but a lot of people using the restaurant are going on foot, after leaving the pub, and are getting one of our taxis home.

“We are a big employer – 116 people work here – and we do our best to be ‘neighbour friendly’. We are reasonable people and I will remind our drivers to be considerate.”

Comments(11)

jimmy k says...
10:06am Sat 23 Feb 13

typical arrogance of the taxi owner "we employ 116 people"whats that got to do with anything?"we were here long before alfies"so that makes you own the road then?"we are reasonable people"oh well that makes it all right .i shouldn't be surprised you only have to drive around town to know that taxi drivers think they own the roads.

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Flyin the ointment says...
1:49pm Sat 23 Feb 13

Contact watch and transport at Keighley Council they have all the answers. You may even get a grit bin at the top of the cobbles so people can get to your car park. When you phone up ask for The grit bin man.

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jimmy k says...
3:17pm Sat 23 Feb 13

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
,another tc obsessive.

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piper56 says...
6:44pm Sat 23 Feb 13

jimmy k quiet right taxis think they own the road and church green is a nightmare due to the taxis but 116 people working there is unbelievable i dont use taxis unless its 608608

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piper56 says...
6:45pm Sat 23 Feb 13

jimmy k quiet right taxis think they own the road and church green is a nightmare due to the taxis but 116 people working there is unbelievable i dont use taxis unless its 608608

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samuels david says...
7:53pm Sat 23 Feb 13

Flyin the ointment.

Please be aware of the many sensibilities within Keighley, otherwise the booze and meat pie brigade of the first battalion of the KTC boys own platoon will seek you out young lady.

Taxies, Keighley Council, grit bins, Watch and Transport, debates, finance, free trips all over the countryside, free hotels of the highest order,

Civic Centre debts, all taboo, no talking, keep to the meat of the subject Flyin the ointment.

Sorry but I can’t answer your question jimmy k, could we ask your many friends in KTC?

Question one from jimmy K.

‘How arrogant are the Keighley taxi owners ask jimmy k.

Glad I’m not a taxi owner, wow! It would be worse if the drivers were also Keighley Town Councillors, or God forbid ....................
....................
.............. ! but I liked the nice touch of the free advertisement jimmy k from your friend, piper 56.

Fly in the ointment, please stop sending me those nauseating pictures of yourself to me, I’ve enough with the hate mail from........well you know of course.

David Samuels

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piper56 says...
8:17pm Sat 23 Feb 13

have you swallowed a dicktionary mr samuels you write a good comment but all those words mean nothing to me and i have never met jimmy k in my life im off out now to the red pig (other great drinking houses are available ) ill try not to be run over by the bad driving of the metro drivers on church green

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jimmy k says...
8:27pm Sat 23 Feb 13

don't waste your breath piper,enjoy your evening out,picking up on the point about employees your right presuming a third are out at any 1 time(3,8 hr shifts)that means roughly 40 taxis are on the go at any 1 time just from metro,must admit i find that very hard to believe.

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Shauny-Boy says...
8:47pm Sat 23 Feb 13

Church Green is a nightmare full stop!!
All the parking spaces are taken by the arrogant taxi drivers, depriving regular road users the chance to park.
Why can't the taxis park somewhere else and be given their 'fares' via radio?
As for he comment that the taxi company has been there for 37 years so its allowed, well I've been around for nearly 45 years and I still can't park on Church Green.

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jimmy k says...
9:17pm Sat 23 Feb 13

your right shauny-boy how come those traffic wardens that you see about town all day long never seem to put a stop to the gridlock that is church green,surely thats exactly what their there for.

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Shauny-Boy says...
9:42pm Sat 23 Feb 13

I agree jimmyk, where I work, there are yellow lines on the road, even though it's hardly a busy thoroughfare. Yet, every 5 minutes this fat guy on a council motorbike patrols the road making all the car owners paranoid of getting a parking ticket!
Now, I've noticed a couple of pretty female parking wardens, who maybe get away with a bit more than the aforementioned leather clad biker!
It annoys me that when you drive around town all you see is people on their mobiles or without seatbelts on, yet if you park in a quiet street you could get a ticket!

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