Taxi thrown into air by security bollard

He was following the Lord Provost’s chauffeur-driven limo into the High Street quadrangle when the bollard - introduced to beef-up security after the September 11 terror attacks - rose up under the cab.

Mr O’ Rourke was taken to hospital suffering from concussion and had to take five days off work, while his cab suffered a broken front axle and needed 1000 worth of repairs.

And two days later, another taxi was struck by the bollard.

ComCab driver Roger Downing smashed his head against the windscreen in the accident, which happened as he was taking a guest to a party.

Both drivers are now seeking compensation from the council.

Two automatic rising bollards were introduced at the entrance and exit of the quadrangle in August to improve security and clamp down on councillors parking their cars in the area.

Mr O’Rourke, who drives for Central Taxis, was hit as he followed the Lord Provost’s Lexus into the quadrangle on Friday.

"I was taking a council IT worker into the City Chambers and I was right behind the Lord Provost’s car. The car buzzed through and the bollard dropped. I followed the car through, and while I was driving over it, the bollard started coming up at a rate of knots."

Mr O’Rourke, 42, of Parkhead Drive, added: "I thought it was a bomb - it was so loud and there was such a hard impact.

"The chap in the back was thrown on to the floor and I think I was knocked out for a few seconds. I was just stunned.

"It was really frightening - I just didn’t expect it to happen.

"If it had been a smaller car, I don’t like to think about what might have happened - the bollard would have come straight up through the floor."

Mr O’Rourke was taken to the Western General, where doctors said he was concussed.

"I’ve had five days away from work at the busiest time of the year," he said. "I’ve lost a lot of money in fares.

"There is nothing to show that you shouldn’t go through behind another car - no signs or even lights to tell you not to drive."

Jim McCall, owner of Mr O’Rourke’s taxi, said he was considering taking legal action against the council.

"I spoke to my solicitors this morning," he said. "If that had been a smaller car, the bollard could have gone straight through the fuel tank and blown it up. It was very dangerous."

Mr Downing was also hit by a bollard as he dropped off a guest at a council party on Sunday evening, smashing his head against the windscreen.

John Kerr, who owns the vehicle, said the council should install lights at the bollards.

"There are no warnings there whatsoever," he said. "If the bollard goes down, there should be a flashing light going through telling drivers not to proceed until they have pressed the buzzer again."

He added: "We’d like to get compensation from the council, but I’ve tried ringing them and I’ve got nowhere so far."

The cars were taken for repair to Union Motors on Dumbryden Road, Wester Hailes.

Mechanic Danny Flynn said it would cost around 1000 to repair each car.

"The front axles on both cars are finished, there’s nothing I can do with them," he said. "And other parts of the car near the axles are also damaged, as is the oil container on one of the cars. Roger’s cab needed to have the windscreen replaced because he smashed it so hard with his head.

"I’ve had to work for well over a day, non-stop, on each of them.

"We’ve had a total of three cabs in now that the same thing has happened to. And we’re not the only garage in Edinburgh that deals with cabs - there could be many more cabs across the city that have been damaged by these bollards."

A spokeswoman for the city council said: "The rising bollards work via an intercom system to the City Chambers’ main reception.

"Certain official vehicles such as the Lord Provost’s car will have special radio linked fobs which will activate the bollards on approach. Other vehicles requiring access to the quadrangle, including taxis, are required to make contact with the reception via the intercom system to receive authorisation."

Councillor Brian Fallon, executive member for business and property, added: "The bollards were introduced for safety and security reasons and aim to restrict unauthorised vehicles accessing the quadrangle.

"Vehicles tail-gating have not received authorisation from the council reception staff - they have not followed the procedure and have been caught by the rising bollard.

"The procedures are outlined above the intercom system and we have arranged for a portable ‘caution’ sign to be placed at the entrance to the quadrangle."