NEW arrangements for taxi ranks and passenger pick-up and drop-off bays will be piloted in a busy part of Leicester city centre from early next month.
The city council will introduce experimental measures on St Nicholas Place and Highcross Street, close to Jubilee Square, to help improve road safety and manage increased passenger demand at busy times of night.
Under the plans, a new 24-hour taxi rank – for Hackney carriages only – will be introduced on St Nicholas Place, immediately adjacent to Jubilee Square.
The existing taxi rank on Highcross Street will be converted into a 24-hour pick-up and drop-off bay, with a maximum waiting time of 10 minutes.
Loading bays on Highcross Street and St Nicholas Place will see a change of use overnight, between 6pm and 7.30am, to provide safe pick-up and drop-off bays.
And an existing layby on Vaughan Way, next to Mosh nightclub, will also be amended to provide an additional pick-up and drop-off bay overnight.
The new pick-up and drop-off bays will be available for use by the general public and private hire drivers.
To help improve road safety, a red route clearway will be introduced on part of St Nicholas Place, between St Nicholas Circle and Highcross Street, to prevent vehicles stopping at any time except in the authorised bays. Illegal stopping or parking on red routes can be enforced by camera.
The changes will come into effect from Wednesday 4 February 2026 under an experimental traffic order which can be monitored, altered or made permanent if necessary to ensure it is effective. It will operate until July 2027, with the first six months assigned as an objection period.
Martin Fletcher, Leicester City Council director of highways, said: “This is a very busy part of the city centre at night and it’s important that we review the existing arrangements for taxis and private pick-ups and drop-offs to help address road safety concerns raised by police.
“The trial scheme has been designed to recognise the demands on hackney carriage and private hire drivers on busy nights and to help people get home safely after a night out.”
Full details of the experimental traffic order are available online at: www.leicester.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/traffic-regulation-orders/