FIVE new taxi ranks could be introduced across the district including the first one in Kidlington.

Cherwell District Council’s executive has agreed to look into creating small ranks and officers have come up with initial designs.

The proposal includes three in Banbury, at Bridge Street, Horsefair and North Bar, a second in Bicester at Bell Lane, and a pilot rank in Oxford Road, Kidlington.

More taxi space is needed after Cherwell removed the limit on cabs and since 2007 there has been an increase of 45 per cent with 122 taxis now operating across the district.

Earlier, taxi association Cherwell Valley Hackney Association, CVHA, handed in a petition signed by 65 licence holders calling for more waiting spaces.

Sikander Hayatt, chairman of CVHA, said: “This move by Cherwell District Council in favour of the taxi drivers is welcome and we look forward to seeing it implemented.

“We appreciate the council helping us gain further rank status and we believe this will be of great help to our customers.”

Al King, vice chairman of the North Oxfordshire Hackney Association, said: “We’re happy that the council is looking to help and we hope they will make it a top priority.”

In Bicester, a disabled parking bay in Bell Lane could double up in the evening, after 6pm, as a taxi rank for five cars easing pressure on the rank in Market Hill. It could cost up to £9,000.

And Kidlington could see its first evening taxi rank.

The parish council is keen to trial a taxi service and cars would be based outside the Natwest Bank, in Oxford road. Costs are expected to be about £1,500.

In Banbury’s Bridge Street four extra taxi spaces could be created making a total of 13, if three existing disabled parking bays were moved elsewhere.

But the cost of extending the rank is £40,000. Horsefair, which is most used in the evening, could get five more spaces making a total 12, by redesigning the layout and traffic flows. The estimated cost is £3,000.

North Bar is being considered as a taxi rank for the first time to remove pressure from Horsefair.

There are two options being looked at, either using disabled bays in the car park operating as dual use, in the access road. Both proposals would cost £3,000 each.

Cherwell’s executive member for community safety, street scene and rural Nigel Morris, said: “Providing more taxi ranks across the district will not only make life easier for cab operators, it will also provide a boost for the economy.

“The taxi firms told us they were experiencing problems and this move shows that we have listened to their concerns and are doing what we can to address them.”