Taxi Driver Online

That is far and away the best reply on TDO this year

Notice 05/12

Important information for all Private Hire Drivers and Operators

Under current regulations it is illegal for London private hire vehicles (PHVs) to drive in Bus Lanes operated by Transport for London (TfL) and London Local Authorities except when picking up and setting down passengers.

On Saturday 14 April it came to our attention that a letter had been issued by a director of Addison Lee plc to its PHV drivers in which he stated (among other things) that they were “fully entitled to use the bus lanes” and that he would indemnify them in respect of fines and other liabilities incurred as a result of following his advice.

A company owned by Addison Lee has brought legal proceedings arguing that the current regulations are in breach of European Union law. TfL is contesting those proceedings. The proceedings have not been determined and there has been no order by the court suspending the effect of the regulations.

The court will make its decision in due course. As regulatory authority for taxis and PHVs in London, TfL considers the decision to issue this letter inciting drivers to break the law now is irresponsible. It has called upon them to rescind it. It is urgently considering legal and regulatory action against Addison Lee and will revoke their licence to operate if necessary.
However, quite separately from this action, TfL hereby issues the following notice to all licensed PHV drivers in London:
Under current regulations, driving a PHV in a Bus Lane, during the hours when the Bus Lane is operative (and other than to pick up and set down passengers) is a criminal offence for which PHV drivers may be personally prosecuted. Those regulations remain valid until and unless there is a court order suspending their effect.

There has been no such court order. This means that, as a PHV driver, you must not drive in Bus Lanes other than to pick up and set down passengers.

If you do so, you will be committing a criminal offence and you will be personally liable to prosecution, irrespective of any indemnity which anyone else may purport to give.

TfL has power to suspend or revoke a PHV operator’s or driver’s licence if it is no longer satisfied that the licence holder is fit to hold such a licence.

Please take note that:
drivers who repeatedly contravene traffic regulations, including by intentionally driving in Bus Lanes, other than to pick up or set down passengers, may be considered unfit to hold a PHV driver’s licence; and
operators who encourage such conduct may be considered unfit to hold a PHV operator’s licence.

TfL requests operators to bring this notice to the attention of all their PHV drivers.

If you have any questions with regards to the contents of this notice, or you require advice or guidance then please contact us directly via tphenquiries@tfl.gov.uk or 0845 602 7000.

15 April 2012

John Mason

Getting a bit tasty.

But I personally would advise AL drivers to keep to what TfL deem to be the law, rather than the multi-millionaire.

For the time being at least.

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IDFIMH

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/new-th ... -bus-lanes

oops....Addison Lee upset cyclists

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

There's always a positive to every story.

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IDFIMH

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

"In reality people need moving around London and mini cabs don't do the same sort of work black cab drivers do. The brightest minds in the two industries have recognised that."
Steve Wright, chairman of the London Private Hire Car Association


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/sep/03/eu.world

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Wonder what would happen to our 'fitness to be licensed' if we encouraged others to break the law, never mind telling 5000 drivers to ignore them?

Did anything happen when Ph were encouraged to flout the M4 bus lane?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

No, but there was almost no enforcement through lack of cameras and the police scrapping the dedicated M4 traffic car.

You'll also have noted he only instructed his cars to use it after the Tories (Griffins a donor) had got into power, and one of their election pledges was to remove it as it was a new Labour idea.

Brave or what!

In town is a different kettle of fish, Lanes are rigorously enforced by thousands of TFL / local council cameras at £60 a pop.

News updates on twitter tell me very little is happening in the way of mass law breaking by Addison Lee drivers after TFL issued a notice telling them that THEIR individual licenses may be revoked.

The amusing thing is the amount of publicity Addision Lee are now getting......ironically....he'll benefit whether or not they get use of the lanes.

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well that's another question, is it just another Ryanair style gaff to attract maximum publicity for his company in the run up to his High Court challenge? Even he with his millions would struggle with say 5000 cars getting one or two £60 fines a day when he's still a few months away from a court date.

That's millions of quid.

That would wipe him out, and I can't see the shareholders allowing that.

Griffins a bit of a knob and a loudmouth, but he ain't stupid and has the best legal advice money can buy, I'm sure even he realises he can't take on the world every time he fancies it.

Thousands of minicab drivers defy ban on using London bus lanes


'Thousands' of minicab drivers today defied the law and used London bus lanes.

The Addison Lee drivers were protesting against “unfair” regulations that allow only licensed black cabs to use the routes. This was despite a warning from Transport for London that drivers faced prosecution — with persistent offenders at risk of losing their licences.

A spokesman for Addison Lee, Britain’s biggest minicab firm with 3,500 drivers, said “several hundred, if not thousands” of minicabs had entered the lanes this morning.

He added: “We do about 500 to 600 jobs an hour through central London. We estimate about 60 to 70 per cent are using the bus lanes when they have passengers.”

Addison Lee’s founder John Griffin said: “Black taxis are not a public service, they are a business just like minicabs — and we will fight the injustice in the current legal system that subsidises them as if they provided a public service.”

He hit out at “preferential treatment” given to London’s 24,000 black cabs, arguing it prevents fair competition, and said: “The black taxis bully and intimidate TfL into supporting them.”

He said Addison Lee would cover any fines its drivers face — which could be as high as £1,000 per offence.

TfL says allowing minicabs into the lanes would cause traffic chaos for London’s buses, and threatened to pursue anyone defying the ban.

TfL is responsible for enforcing about 40 per cent of the capital’s bus lanes, with borough councils in charge of the remainder. A TfL spokesman disputed Addison Lee’s claims of the level of disobedience, saying: “We are just not seeing private hire vehicles in these lanes.”

Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said Addison Lee was being “utterly irresponsible”.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/tran ... 47357.html

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

We are talking about politicians here since when did a politician ACTUALLY practise equality it has always been the same as long as it's not directly affecting them or endangering their chances of reelection tough

I personally think that those councils who restrict access to bus lanes to wheelchair access taxis only have got it right because as soon as saloon Hackneys and PH use them everyone else assumes they can and then they stop working

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector