Bus threat to taxis (From Barry And District News)

Bus threat to taxis

LOCAL taxi firms are up in arms over reports that the Council are to introduce a new bus service for Barry Island's booming nightlife.

The proposed service will apparently run from Barry Island to the town square on weekend nights in the hope that it will reduce the number of people milling about on the Island late at night.

The bus scheme comes at a time when Barry Island nightlife is starting to boom, and taxi firms were looking forward to cashing in.

Popular venue Macgowns has recently had a refurbishment and two new bars, Cubans and Eze Bar 2, have now opened, to add to the established clubs Acropolis and KR's.

The planned bus service has already been met with fierce opposition from taxi companies who are saying it will take away their business and are prepared to protest against the council's decision.

Richard Pope, who runs his own independent firm, said: "We're not really happy about it because it's going to do me out of business.

"All the drivers are unhappy so there's going to be a protest."

Dennis McArthur, from A to B, said: "I think we don't need a bus service - the taxis are picking people up. We're struggling for trade now in Barry and the bus service will greatly take away the trade left.

"I honestly think people still prefer taxis because getting on the bus you have to put up with all the drunks."

Rahman Habibur, added that with the growing nightlife of the Island provides much of the business to taxi firms.

"I'm very disappointed. The council haven't even thought about any of us driving. They're taking trade from our pocket and we are all worried about this. I think it is totally out of order - it's wrong and we're not happy. There's a lot of business over the Island so we need to all get together and tell the council."

The Vale of Glamorgan Council declined to comment at this stage, saying they were due to release

information on the service next week.