A row between Westbury Town Council and taxi drivers in the town could end when the second phase of improvements are made to the town centre.
The argument erupted when the town council wrote a letter to taxi drivers in the town highlighting the fact that they were illegally forming a rank in the Market Place.
Taxi drivers have been asked to use the designated bays opposite the Coopers supermarket in Edward Street, where there are enough spaces for three to four taxis.
However, Tony Galpin, 70, who has run Tony’s Taxis in the town for 21 years, said the bays aren’t convenient for customers.
He said: “The town council wrote us a letter to say taxis won’t be able to park in the Market Place like we usually do on Friday and Saturday, and sometimes during evenings in the week.
“When people go out for a few drinks in Westbury they go to the Market Place and that’s also where they want to be picked up when they make their way home.
“In 20 years I’ve never heard of any problems being caused by taxis waiting in Market Place. Sometimes we have to move because people need to park there but we move without any bother.
“We have now received a new letter from the town council saying that Helen Powdrill, who is the principal highways engineer, will consider a new taxi rank in the town when she considers the Maristow Street improvements.
“But I can’t make sense of that because if you have a six or eight-seater taxi parked in Maristow Street, it’s going to take up a lot of space. Maristow Street is not the ideal location for a taxi rank because it’s so narrow and one way.”
Consultation for improvements in Maristow Street will start next month and Wiltshire Council has confirmed that a taxi rank could be included in the final plans.
The first phase of the Vision for Westbury project was a £370, 000 revamp of the town’s Market Place, carried out between October and February.
The refurbishment aimed to link the square more effectively with the rest of the town centre.
Town councillor Mike Cuthbert-Murray said he had no issue with an official rank being in Market Place or the surrounding area.
“I will be speaking to people at the Wiltshire Council to find out what the council’s position is on a new rank.
“I think since Coopers had closed business for taxis has decreased and that’s why they are congregating in the Market Place.”