For the second time in a month, late-night transport in Kings Cross will get a boost.

The suburb will now become home to three new taxi ranks, only weeks after a late-night bus service was established in the area.

Police anticipated the new transport options would impact crime rates and prevent partygoers ending up stranded in the popular nightclub district after trains stopped running.

Two new full-time taxi ranks will be established on Darlinghurst Road – one on the west side outside the entrance to Kings Cross station and the other on the east side, outside the Aussie Rules Club. The two ranks will each have their own security guard and will be trialled for six months.

An additional “after hours” rank on Bayswater Road will also help people looking for a taxi between 6 pm and 6 am.

Kings Cross police Commander Superintendent Mark Murdoch described the new ranks as “long overdue” and a “huge bonus”.

Superintendent Murdoch said the command would monitor crime trends over the trial period to see if the new ranks had an impact.

As well as helping partygoers leave Kings Cross, Superintendent Murdoch said he hoped the new transport options would help deter drink drivers. “In recent times we’ve seen a spike in drink driving in the area,” he said.

Meanwhile, the free late-night bus service will run until the end of April. It operates between Kings Cross andCentral station from 1 am to 5 am on Friday and Saturday nights.

“Kings Cross is a 24-hour entertainment zone, with large numbers of tourists and visitors, and many people leaving venues after the trains and buses have stopped and before they start again [the] next morning,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“Police have consistently reported large numbers of people stranded in this precinct and at risk of crime, violence and anti-social behaviour.”
http://www.villagevoice.com.au/article/20061220/NWS03/61220008