BRIDGE Street is to be opened up to taxis and cyclists despite objections from Warrington Taxi Drivers Association who said that it is a disaster waiting to happen.

The association said that private hire cabs are indistinguishable from normal cars and so enforcement would be impossible.

But the borough council has said that it wants to encourage the use of bikes and taxis as an alternative to private cars, particularly in and around the town centre.

Bob Rimmer, the borough council's strategic director of environment and regeneration, said: "The proposal was made to ease problems experienced by taxis in Bridge Street arising from the limited entry and exits available to them when using the ranks in lower Bridge Street."

The WTDA said: "Enforcement will be difficult if not impossible. Hackney vehicles are easily identifiable by their colour, top signs and plates.

"Whereas private hire taxis look just like an ordinary member of the public's car."

However private hire vehicles that will use Bridge Street will also have to be licensed by the Borough Council which requires them to be clearly marked according to their type.

The borough council will also ban the left turn into Bridge Street from Bridge Foot and lift the 'access only' driving rule along Friars Gate.

The Warrington Cycle Campaign strongly supports the measures because it currently thinks the Bridge Foot gyratory system is hostile to cyclists.

The Traffic Committee will meet on Monday February 17 to vote on these proposals.