Sheffield station: Public drop-off zone and car park to be closed to cut traffic chaos
A car park and drop-off area at Sheffield station are set to be closed to the public in a bid to combat crippling congestion.
The set down zone near the station building will be for private hire cars only and people arriving by car will instead use a new 30-minute zone on Cross Turner Street, which is currently a taxi rank.
The adjacent short-stay car park will be converted to ‘blue badge and contractor’ only. Black cabs will be the only vehicles allowed right up to the covered turning circle by the station doors.
Meanwhile, under a new gyratory system, access for all vehicles will change to Fornham Street, off the A61 Suffolk Road, and Turner Street will become one-way, with two lanes exiting on to Suffolk Road.
The Star understands the changes are set to be introduced by the end of this year and will be enforced by number plate recognition cameras.
It comes after years of complaints about congestion at the station which sees black cabs, Ubers and private cars fight for space at busy times.
Only yesterday, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said the railway station was a “mess” which had to be sorted.
He told the BBC: "When I was a kid the station worked perfectly, then they changed it around. They improved the station massively but the way you come around that corner to the station is ridiculous.”
Hafeas Rehman, chair of Sheffield Taxi Trade Association, acknowledged some passengers would now have further to walk but he believed the changes would cut congestion.
“We have had this problem for at least 10 years, which was itself an attempt to end congestion.
“We are pleased with the proposal drawn up by East Midlands Railway which should make it easier going in and out.
“At other interchanges around the country people have to walk much further compared to Sheffield, even after moving the drop-off to Cross Turner Street.”
An East Midlands Railway spokesperson said: “We are currently working through a revised scheme with the council and taxi driver representatives. More information will be shared once timescales are finalised.”
Coun Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “The current arrangements around the station simply aren’t good enough, and tackling congestion in this area is a big priority for the council.
“We are working closely with our partners at East Midlands Railway to put this right. A proposal has been drawn up and we are now engaging with local businesses to make sure it meets their needs.
“We are determined to improve the situation in the short term, but our ambitions go much further. As part of our Station Masterplan transformation, we are preparing a radical redesign of the whole area — one that will bring more jobs, new homes and shops, and create a much better welcome for people arriving into our great city.”