Taxi Driver Online

South Wales Echo

March 20, 2008, Thursday

Private hire cars 'ready to break the law';

'Council dragging heels' over equal access to bus lanes

PRIVATE hire cars are ready to break the law and defy new traffic restrictions in St Mary Street if they are not lifted soon.

The warning comes from Cardiff's biggest cab firm, whose owner is fuming that private hire cars do not have the same access rights to bus lanes as Hackney carriages do.

The new traffic system was introduced to cut down on congestion.

But Carl Tritschler, a director of Dragon Taxis based in Tremorfa, said: "We've had several meetings with Cardiff council during the last 12 months.

"They've assured us that permission for private hires to use bus lanes just has to go through committee.

"The police have no objections to it.

"We've been waiting since November for this but everyone's just been dragging their heels while this has been a restraint on trade."

Mr Tritschler, whose company has 400 vehicles on the road including 330 private hire vehicles, added: "Reading between the lines, I don't think the council really wants private hires to use bus lanes - but the fact is, the public do.

"People have faced longer journeys and higher fares and it's absolutely crazy - the public are paying through the nose. But as a taxi trade we're going to do something about this.

"Private hires are going to use bus lanes and if anyone gets fined we will challenge the council. I'm getting 30 to 40 enquiries a week with drivers asking when somethings going to be done."

A Cardiff council spokeswoman said: "The private hire drivers have always had access to High Street and St Mary Street, but their entry route is via Guildhall Place.

"The issue for private hire drivers is allowing them access to this area via the bus lanes, because the current access arrangements make it difficult to call at certain premises - for example The Philharmonic public house.

"Due to the central reserve island, access to the kerbside fronting that property can only be gained from the Mill Lane and Saunders Road junction, and this is via a bus lane from which these drivers are currently excluded.

"The legal procedures to change the law are progressing and an experimental relaxation of the bus lane rules will be implemented as soon as practicable."
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