Councillors sign off on Longford town taxi rank changes

Councillors passed the measures at last week’s meeting of Longford Municipal District, which will also see the increase of five to six spaces on Ballymahon Street.

Its removal, along with no taxis being permitted on Ballymahon Street during daytime hours, will be supplemented by an additional space outside of conventional business hours.

A council spokeswoman said thoughts had turned to providing two additional spaces on the Market Square side in place of the one lost.

“Consideration has been given to provide two additional spaces on the Market Square side in place of the one lost,” she said.

“However it does come with issues in that there’s an access point for Weaver’s Hall and there is double yellow lines further down from that which doesn’t make it straightforward.”

Elected members said logistically that proposal could not ultimately be met, meaning the Market Square will see 11 spaces being provided along with one disabled space.

There are also plans to provide a ramp for taxis to allow for greater ease of access on the Market Square when a build out is put in place.

Cathaoirleach of Longford Municipal District Cllr Martin Monaghan said there was also a need to provide greater visibility to the general public to show there was a taxi rank in place on the Market Square.

“We need more signage and lignage on it so that people know that it is a taxi rank,” he said. “Members of the public are used to parking there and creatures of habit as we all are, we tend to forget that.”