New taxi ranks in Renmore, which received no formal objections from the public, still caused uproar in the locality when Galway City Council workers went to install them recently.
Last year City Hall put plans for new taxi ranks on public display. The 74 new ranks were proposed to be located in the city centre and in the surrounding areas, and feedback from the public was sought.
No objections were received from the public by the end of the consultation period and City Hall proceeded to plan for the installation of the new ranks.
However when council began installing the new taxi rank for the Renmore area, opposite Molloy’s Shop in Renmore Park, local residents began to complain and voiced their opposition to the ranks being located there.
Meetings were held between City Hall, four Galway City East councillors, and residents’ associations, but proposals to located the ranks in Renmore Avenue met with similar opposition.
Fine Gael councillor Brian Walsh is now calling on City Hall to “revisit its decision” on the taxi rank given the level of public opposition and the “valid concerns” being raised.
He also said the incident should encourage City Hall to introduce new methods of making the public more aware that it is seeking public feedback on new infrastructural projects.
“The council need to introduce new methods such as taking out more prominent adverts in the local press, doing a leaflet drop in the affected area, and putting up signage and site notices. Had the residents been aware of what was planned this would have been sorted at an earlier stage.”
