Revamp of Cork's Patrick St will only benefit 'homeless and dossers' says taxi rep

Plans to give Patrick Street a facelift – including new trees, flowerbeds and seating which will replace taxi ranks – will only benefit “homeless people and dossers”, a local taxi driver representative has claimed.

Billed as a “decluttering and greening” of the city’s main street, the work on the plaza area outside Brown Thomas at the top of Winthrop Street, and the area outside Dunnes Stores, will take 12 to 18 months.

The council said the measures – which are funded by the National Transport Authority (NTA) – are aimed at “enhancing public transport in the city centre and … creating a greener and more welcoming space in the heart of the city centre”.

Part of the decluttering will include the removal of the old busman’s hut and a taxi shelter and trolley bay outside Dunnes Stores. Bus stops will also be moved from the Patrick St/Winthrop St plaza, relocating a short distance away – to north of Maylor St.

More controversially, perhaps, is the temporary suspension of taxi stands.

Derry Coughlan, of the Cork Taxi Association, said the decision would result in “security issues”.

He added that it would mean tourists would no longer feel safe in the city centre.

“People just won’t come into the city at all. We can see the shopping centres are already drawing people out of town, and if there’s no taxi rank, people won’t feel safe in town," he said.

“The council are getting rid of taxi ranks and putting in flowerbeds that will be of no benefit whatsoever to anyone, except homeless people and dossers, who will lie in them and pull up flowers."

Attractive destination

However, Green Party councillor Oliver Moran said that the city centre needed to be an attractive destination for the public.

“One of the messages we’ve heard loud and clear from the public is that people want more planting and green areas in the city centre. Patrick St, in particular, has been the subject of a lot of commentary like that,” he said.

“Ultimately, that’s to the benefit of people who depend on a vibrant city centre for their livelihoods, and taxi drivers are clearly among those.

“The whole of Patrick St is reserved exclusively for use by public transport and taxi drivers every afternoon.

“Making sure that the gardaí enforce that, and that the public respect it, should go hand-in-hand with this renewed focus on the street,” Mr Moran added.

A council spokesperson said the work on the eastern plaza will create more space for people and performance, creating “a more coherent and attractive design overall”.

“Combined, the work on both sides of the street will improve the overall visual appearance of the area,” they said.

“Cork City Council has engaged with key stakeholders – including bus operators, taxi representatives, disability access groups, businesses and community organisations – to discuss the detail of the project,” the spokesperson added.

Works are scheduled to commence in June, with the first phase including the relocation of the bus stops and the removal of the redundant street furniture.

Details of the scheme are available on Cork City Council’s website, with submissions invited from June 15.