Taxi Driver Online

Oxford taxi drivers say LTN has increased journey time and prices

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19786 ... me-prices/

TAXI drivers from across the city have voiced their concerns over a proposed traffic calming scheme.

Tomorrow, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Liz Leffman, will decide whether a Low Traffic Neighbourhood would be introduced into East Oxford.

If approved, traffic filters will be placed on side roads off St Clements, Cowley Road, and Iffley Road.

Qasim Mohammed, who is general manager of Royal Cars, said that his drivers are concerned about creating extra pollution by ‘going around an LTN’.

He explained: “They feel this goes against the efforts drivers have made to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in Ultra-Low emission hybrid vehicles, as the offset of carbon emissions from the engine has been counterweighed by the additional mileage of having to go around LTNs.

“Drivers have also expressed concerns of vulnerable passengers missing vital appointments due to added traffic on arterial roads, caused by drivers going around the LTNs and mentioned that many regular users, who are usually elderly have drastically cut down on their shopping and social trips due to the increased costs of journeys avoiding LTNs and this has had a visible negative impact on the wellbeing of said individuals.”

An LTN was introduced to Church Cowley, Temple Cowley and Florence Park in March under an Experimental Traffic Order – since then Royal Cars have said their wait times have increased, on some occasions by 200 per cent, which it attributes to the LTN scheme.

Mr Mohammed added that he believes a one-way system throughout the area would be safer and more effective than installing traffic filters.

Sajad Khan, who is the secretary of the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association echoed similar concerns, arguing that the Cowley LTNs have increased journey time and prices for passengers.

He said: “It’s not rocket science to know that our job is all about picking up and dropping off passengers from door-to-door not from bollard to bollard.

“Taxis need access to all the roads in and around Oxford for an efficient service and the convenience of the paying passenger.

“LTNs unnecessarily make our movements complicated and add time and money to the paying passenger.

“It doesn’t help any passenger if they need to get to an appointment or an interview or a meeting when we are stuck behind the day-to-day traffic because of roads been closed off.”

Mr Khan stressed that if the East Oxford LTNs is approved tomorrow, it could have a significant impact on local taxi services.

He explained: “East Oxford is a lively area with many residents including students living in and around the East Oxford area.

“This is the busiest location for us when picking up or dropping off passengers.

“We service almost every single road in the East Oxford area with a close link to the student’s accommodations at Cheney Hall, Warneford Hall, and Clive booth hall.

“Even hospitals.”

The decision will be made tomorrow at the council’s Highway Management.

A council spokesperson said: " Over the last year the council has engaged with taxi companies on a number of occasions to gather their important feedback on these measures.

"The views expressed during this engagement are included in the recommendation report published last week.

"The decision on implementation of the LTNs will be made by the leader of the council at the meeting on 16 December, considering all available evidence, including the contents of that report.

"Until the decision has been reached, the council will make no further comment."

You can see where the East Oxford LTNs would go if approved here.

So apparently the LTNs will benefit the trade


Oxford taxi firm's fears over LTN roll out

https://www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk/news/ ... er-6378552

The county council leader said there will be support if the scheme goes ahead from March next year

A pledge has been made to support taxi companies during the rollout of a major scheme aimed at keeping traffic moving through busy parts of the county.

Taxi firms in Oxford have raised concerns over the plans as part of a consultation of the planned Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).

But the leader of Oxfordshire County Council said the authority will do what it can to support taxi companies.

Two Oxford taxi firms made representations against the proposals, which have been designed to keep through traffic off residential side roads around Divinity Road, St Mary’s and St Clement’s from March 2022.

They centred around the vehicles getting stuck in extra traffic on main routes and being unable to use LTNs that provide the most direct routes from homes to hospital and university buildings but the authority’s leader Councillor Liz Leffman (Lib Dem, Charlbury & Wychwood) was swayed by the benefits and decided to give the go ahead in line with the advice of council officers.

A council report on the plans discussed the concern of taxi companies and drivers.

It read: “Concerns were raised during the consultation period about the ability for taxis to travel through and around the LTN areas.

“Many drivers and companies are worried this will negatively affect business as passengers would not want to pay if they were stationary for long periods in congestion or to take a longer route because of the LTN road closures.”

It noted a meeting between the council’s cabinet member for highway management, Councillor Tim Bearder (Lib Dem, Wheatley), and taxi companies in September.

That raised concerns over “the displacement of traffic onto arterial routes resulting in increased journey times and reduced responsiveness to customers” with claims that “many drivers are turning to alternative employment due to the perceived impact of the LTNs” adding to a “shortage of drivers in the market”.

The report suggested this could be mitigated by the “potential for LTNs to increase business for taxi companies if modal shift occurs away from private car use”, while access to LTN routes could follow “subject to the granting of powers to authorities outside of London to install automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras at filter locations”.

Having delivered her decision, Cllr Leffman said: “Taxi drivers, I absolutely understand you are part of the future.

“We must support you in whatever ways we can and by having ANPR in LTNs, we will be able to make sure you can access them. They are low-traffic neighbourhoods, not no-traffic neighbourhoods.

“That also goes for people who need to get to people who are vulnerable, it allows for ambulances, et cetera. We cannot do it without making sure people are safe and can get in and out when needed.

“In the short term it may be that we see some extra traffic on the roads but the evidence shows that tends to evaporate. We have done a survey on the Cowley LTNs and the results will be available before we implement the East Oxford LTNs.”

So the intention of these LTNs is to force private motorists out of their cars completely and force them to walk, take the bus or simply stay indoors?

Or, as regards some people, the council thinks sufficient numbers will give their cars up completely and use taxis in such numbers that it will actually benefit the trade?

Can't see it, somehow.