Misery of city path work may linger on

From the archive, first published Tuesday 14th Mar 2006.

NIGHTMARE pavement works in the centre of Worcester are on schedule to be completed within the next four weeks according to county council chiefs.

Taxi drivers and traders working in The Cross and Foregate Street have been up in arms over the £440,000 scheme they say caused absolute chaos and have cut business since they began two weeks ago.

Taxis have now been allowed to return to their rank opposite Lloyds TSB Bank for the time being, unclogging nearby St Swithin's Street where they had been forced to queue for their custom.

Owner of Blue Star taxis, Ash Mahmood said: "My drivers now have their taxi rank back, which is great. We are still being kept in the dark as usual as to when it will all end because there are still road works everywhere."

Robert Harding owns Good News on The Cross and said his business suffered a huge blow when the works began.

He added: "It seems to be back to normal now, though all our customers are still saying the amount of road works in the city at the moment are unbelievable. The ridiculous barriers are down for now and we are just left with an uneven footpath."

But, despite some of the red pedestrian barriers being re-moved, a county council spo-kesman said they could reappear as the facelift continues.

"Sometimes the work may have appeared to have stopped but that is because workmen try and clear away as much obstruction as possible when they are off site cutting the stones to size.

"Work has been done to ensure as little disruption to everyone as possible but some is necessary to improve the footpaths in the city."

Archive Home