With Crossrail indefinitely delayed it gives us an opportunity on making some improvements to Oxford St which have not really been taken on board, in response to the Council’s proposals . Ultimately its the hugh increase of visitors in the West End anticipated which will need dispersing, many of whom may well need a black cab or two to get them around for the next leg of their onward journey, which determines this need.  

Black cabbies operating in the West End feel the draft strategy and delivery plan for Oxford St by Westminster City Council, neglects one very important element for them – taxis ranks. After spending an afternoon having a few drinks with a old school friend who’s a regular cabbie in the West End over the Christmas break, he made the above observation. We then walked along Oxford St and he pointed out the best places for those taxis ranks near the two Cross rail stations, Bond St and Tottenham Court Rd. 

Some possibilities of a taxis rank that we discussed include the new entrance to Bond St on the Northern side of Oxford St, opens up the use of the top end of Marylebone lane as a taxis rank for all those who came off at that particular Cross rail station.Great Chapel St on the Southern side of New Oxford St serviced by taxis through Soho by the side of the new entrance to Tottenham Court Rd Cross rail off New Oxford Street. And finally Denmark Place, WC1 (in Camden) on the Eastern side of Charing Cross Rd and served through the back of the Holborn gyratory.

The taxi rank additions to the future of Oxford St District above have been highlighted in locations which should make them easily incorporated to the proposal outlined by the Council. So l hope its not to late to consider where these taxis ranks can be added to the mix along with all the other considerations in the proposals. As long as the black cabs are not idling and increasingly we have cabbies using the electric version of the iconic black cab, then l don’t particularly have any problems with having taxi ranks near the new Crossrail stations.  

New Bond St Crossrail entrance, Marylebone lane

New Tottenham Court Rd entrance along Denmark Place, WC1

Soho entrance to Tottenham Court Rd Crossrail, Great Chapel St, W1