Taxi Driver Online

Minicab drivers petition to use Leicester bus lanes


Minicab drivers are signing a petition asking council bosses to let them drive in bus lanes.

Private hire vehicle drivers want to be able to use the bus-only zones in Charles Street and Causeway Lane, Leicester, without incurring fines.

Under current city council rules, hackney cabs can use the lanes but other minicabs cannot.

Private hire driver Sajit Faruk, of Thorpe Astley, said the rules are unfair.

He was caught in Causeway Lane in July and unsuccessfully challenged his £60 fine.

He said: "Essentially, private hire vehicles do exactly the same job as hackney cabs but are banned from these lanes.

"We are public transport and the council wants to encourage people to use public transport.

"Perhaps the rules could be changed to allow private hire drivers in the bus lanes at peak hours rather than all the time."

The city council banned cars from the lanes in July 2012.

Nearly 40,000 drivers have been caught and almost £1.2 million has been generated in fines.

Forty people have signed Mr Faruk's online petition. He is also collecting signatures on a paper version.

A city council spokesman said: "The scrutiny commission looked at this issue and agreed hackney cabs and private hire vehicles should be treated differently.

"There are different rules for the operation of private hire vehicles and hackney cabs and it has been made quite clear that, in terms of bus lanes, private hire vehicles don't have any special privileges."

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "Of course, we will consider the petition but I think I would be firm on this.

"Hackney cabs are easily identifiable but private hire cars are largely saloon vehicles and it would be impractical to check each one against the licensing record.

"I also think it would confuse drivers who might see private hire cars in the bus lane and assume it was fine to follow them.

"That would unnecessarily generate more fines.

"There are also a large number of private hire vehicles and to allow them in the bus lanes might impact on the buses, affecting their journey times."


Read more: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/C ... z2gM8PvPfg

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

When normal motorists see them they'll think "hey" we can use them to.

In most of leicestershire, hackney cabs can be saloons and we can use the bus lanes in leicester. I was told by Leicester City council that if my LO sends them the list of Hackneys they would be added to the list.

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Grandad,

And when they do they will get fined.

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IDFIMH

Depends what the TRO says...