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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Steven Brown

Edinburgh shopkeeper fuming as taxi rank right outside store 'blocks deliveries'

A fed-up Edinburgh businessman has said he is fuming over a taxi rank right in front of his business which is blocking deliveries.

Waqas Ali, manager of West End Store newsagents on Queensferry Street, also said repeated roadworks outside his store have only added to the problems.

Since last year, Edinburgh Live has spoken with many other business owners in the area who claim they have been negatively impacted by the works currently being carried out on Queensferry Street and Randolph Place.

READ MORE: Edinburgh lifeboat crew race to historic island as casualty rushed to hospital

Edinburgh City Council began carrying out works in the area in May 2022 to improve infrastructure in the area, roads and paths have been the main point of the works.

Waqas said: "The taxi rank in front of our business has affected us so much, sometimes deliveries can't get to us because cabs are on the road, at the taxi rank, directly outside the shop.

"The work being done outside on Queensferry Street can also make it very difficult for deliveries to get to us and it does not help the situation.

"When you open the door to this shop there is so much noise, I know the works have to be complete but it's taken so long now and I have heard it has affected so many other shops on this road."

The taxi rank is situated right outside of the shop (Edinburgh Live)

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West End Store is not the only business that has been impacted by the works being completed on Queensferry Street.

Timpson's Manager, Dawn said: "It is a massive inconvenience because we rely on passing trade. As there are fewer buses going past and some being diverted to other streets this will make an impact on our footfall and for the rest of the west end

"The dirt and the noise is one thing, but we just don't know how long this will carry on for."

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “There has been a taxi rank in this position for over a decade. However, we are aware that double yellow lines have been painted in error between the Randolph Place junction and the taxi rank, and officers are liaising with contractors to rectify this as soon as possible.”

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