Taxi Driver Online

About 60 comments on the Oxford Mail's website and, perhaps surprisingly, most seem to be blaming the buses.

Of course, one of these things you'd really need to be there to assess properly, rather than rely on the spiel from the council, bus companies, taxi trade etc.

Does seem a bit bizarre, though. I mean, even if some fault on the part of the taxi drivers, they're presumably stationary when the collision occurs, in which case the buses look at fault?


Gloucester Green taxi drop-off closed after passengers injured

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18248 ... s-injured/


Image: Oxford Mail

A TAXI drop-off zone in Gloucester Green has been blocked off because passengers kept getting hit and injured by coaches.

Oxford City Council said on one occasion, a pregnant woman became 'wedged between a taxi and a bus', such was the extent of the conflict for space.

The authority has now installed bollards across the drop-off bay just off George Street, rendering it useless.

Oxford resident and keen cyclist Tony Brett criticised the move on Twitter, questioning how passengers would cope if they are disabled or have lots of luggage.

He added: "Isn't the coach driver responsible for the tail swing, or are we blaming the victim now?"

Oxford Bus Company's managing director Phil Southall, responding to his tweet, said: "The reason for this is pedestrians getting out of taxis coming into contact with the tail swing of larger coaches.

"There have been a number of personal injuries and any further injuries can now be avoided."

He said people who cannot access the bus station via public transport will simply have to 'get dropped off in a nearby street or car park'.

Mr Southall added: "[The] issue is folks getting out of taxis not looking.

"This is a perfectly acceptable solution under the circumstances."

Another woman branded the move 'ridiculous' adding: "It’s really hard to get to the bus station anyhow, [especially] from outside of town.

"This just making it worse."

Oxford City Council confirmed that it has closed the bays on a six-month trial, having consulted with taxi drivers.

A spokesperson for the authority tweeted: "The area is drop-off only, but there was a high level of non-compliance.

"There had been several accidents between cars and buses - one incident involved a pregnant woman being wedged between a taxi and a bus."

(Oxford Tube buses, pictured in the background of the bollard photo, were not involved in any of the collisions)

I wonder if it was being used for pick ups as well and taxis/ph were waiting to pick up

Now it will be academic as the council will take the buses side and ban all other vehicles

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

Well it IS a bus station

just because it's a bus station doesn't mean all other vehicles are banned

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

It does if that's what the sign and TRO says.