Westminster's roads grind to a halt as taxi drivers protest Olympics lanes ban Taxi drivers brought Westminster to a standstill this afternoon in an Olympic protest.
Hundreds of black cab drivers parked in around Parliament Square honking their horns.
Police stood by helpless as buses and other vehicles jostled for spaces to scamble through.
The drivers said they were angered at being banned from driving in Olympic Lanes.
One said: “The lanes are pathetic and will harm us and other motorists.
“We reckon our income will go down around 40 per cent during the games because people are being pushed onto public transport.
“There has been little consideration for the hard working black cab drivers who should be part and parcel of the Olympics.”
The taxi drivers are thought to be considering a second protest outside the Olympic Park.
Two more protests with "time and venue to be revealed" are scheduled for Monday 23rd July and on the day of the Opening Ceremony.
A spokesman for the United Cabbies Group said:"We demand access to the Olympic Games Lanes.
"The taxi trade is set for months of misery and hardship unless we gain access to these lanes."
John Mason, Director of London Taxi and Private Hire, said: “We have worked tirelessly with groups that represent the majority of hard working taxi drivers to provide cabbies with as much access to the lanes as possible.
"Through dialogue which started in 2009, TfL has secured concessions specifically for taxi drivers, including the use of turns along the Olympic Route Network that were initially banned for all traffic except buses, as well as access to a number of kerbside Games lanes to pick up passengers.
"We have informed taxi drivers that any such demonstration is completely irresponsible and would only disrupt the travelling public – the very people taxi drivers are supposed to serve."
source:
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/w ... 53122.html
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