Crown backed down on new taxi system

By David Schout

A new taxi system designed to alleviate late-night traffic chaos on Clarendon St was shut down at the last minute by Crown Casino, according to Southbank Police.

The proposed new “feeder station” under the Kings Way overpass, where drivers would pick up a ticket before presenting it at the casino’s western-end taxi rank, was designed to reduce the gridlock on busy Friday and Saturday evenings that was causing congestion, safety and noise issues.

But according to the police Crown pulled out of the trial system late last year.

“Crown ultimately were reluctant to do it,” Southbank Station Commander Senior Sergeant Alexandra O’Toole told Southbank News.

“We had members rostered and it was all set to go, and then Crown pulled the pin on it,” she said.

In what has previously been labelled a “20-year issue” by police, fare-searching drivers travelling north on Clarendon St seek to turn right into the Crown taxi rank.

However, as the rank fills up, and given only a small number of cars can turn on a green arrow, the resulting congestion can see taxis banked back to the Whiteman St intersection and beyond.

Residents in nearby high-rises have reported a “nightly cacophony from 10pm to 4am” due to frustrated drivers using their horns.

A new “feeder” system sought to alleviate this issue by ensuring a more even flow of traffic.

Drivers who had not collected a ticket from the proposed underpass booth would have been swiftly moved on.

While much of the now redundant cab rank underneath Kings Way is the subject of plans for new community space as part of the City of Melbourne’s City Road Masterplan, the council was understood to be supportive of the police’s trial measures.

“They [Crown] didn’t believe the taxi drivers were actually going to put themselves in that taxi feeder as they reckon it might deny them a fare. So, they didn’t think there was going to be cooperation,” Senior Sergeant O’Toole confirmed.

Crown did not respond to a request for comment from Southbank News.

The issue has not surfaced since March 23, when Crown closed their operations due to COVD-19 restrictions.

On November 25 the casino reopened its gaming floor, but to just 1000 patrons.

However, Senior Sergeant O’Toole said police expected the taxi issue to return when casino operations returned to pre-pandemic levels, and were currently working through another new system to ease the local issue.

The plan, which is still being developed, could involve closing the troublesome right-turning lane, forcing drivers instead to travel north on Clarendon St across the Yarra River towards Flinders Street, before turning around and returning to the casino for a fare.

“Hopefully that would mean it wouldn’t have the impact on that intersection, because it’s a longer stretch of road going back to Flinders St than having taxis turning [right],” Senior Sergeant O’Toole said.

“They [taxis] then won’t be relying upon an arrow, it would obviously just be a green light as opposed to just five or six cars coming through on an arrow. It would be green for a lot longer, so we would hope that would improve the traffic flow.

“There’s actually not even 1500 people in Crown at the moment so it’s not the beast it normally is. So, we won’t be able to test [the new system] properly until we’ve got it operating at a much larger capacity.

“We’re definitely looking at an alternative when the COVID restrictions are lifted and we can do something.”

Another Southbank location that has dealt with taxi issues in the past is Riverside Quay.

For years, scores of taxis are have parked illegally outside Eureka Tower in what the City of Melbourne has said is part of a “serious policy issue” and an “intractable problem”.

In the past, readers have told Southbank News of overcrowding on Riverside Quay and even the complete blocking of nearby Cook Street, which at times has sparked angry confrontation.

Similarly, to Crown, the issue has softened for much of 2020 due to the pandemic according to Senior Sergeant O’Toole.

She said enforcement of that issue mirrored the casino.

“That was causing a lot of issues. The highway patrol and our members were down there fining people almost daily. But it’s the same problem; it’s fine when we’re sitting there in our [police] car, but as soon as you leave, bang, the issue returns. If you’re not there, it’s just chaos.”

In October, the council resolved to undertake a review of the rank that had been a source of contention for a number of years •