Taxi Driver Online

Taxis to be allowed in bus lanes




TAXIS and private hire vehicles are set to benefit from the use of the town’s bus lanes.

And the council’s lead member for transport hinted this could pave the way for special lanes to reward drivers who car share.

Swindon Council’s lead member for highways, transport and strategic planning, Coun Peter Greenhalgh, said: “We believe that taxis and licensed hire vehicles are part of our public transport system.

“Like buses they need to work to realistic timetables and, therefore, we believe it’s appropriate for them to be using bus lanes.”

Concerns had been raised in a council report over the effect such changes could have on cyclists and emergency service providers, but Coun Greenhalgh said the effects would be monitored and that he hoped drivers would use their common sense. The issue of opening up the town’s bus lanes was raised at last night’s cabinet meeting and unanimously passed by councillors.

Brian Vann, chairman of the Swindon Taxi Drivers’ Association, welcomed the move, but objected to the inclusion of private hire vehicles and expressed surprise at the cost of the scheme.

He argued that the change would make taxi drivers more efficient benefiting the general public, businessmen in particular, reducing the town’s carbon footprint and bringing Swindon’s transport services in line with other towns.

“This makes it an opportunity not to be passed by,” he said.

Lib Dem group leader Stan Pajak spoke out against the decision, saying it would be dangerous for cyclists and was not the best way forward in encouraging people to leave their cars at home.

Coun Greenhalgh responded by saying that he believed it would be discriminatory to say the scheme was good for taxis but not for private hire vehicles.

He said: “We will be continuously assessing the situation and if I receive complaints from vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, that other road users are not respecting them then I will take that very seriously.”

Coun Greenhalgh added he hoped in the long term to introduce high vehicle occupancy lanes.

He said: “Actually from a traffic management view if you can encourage people to car share then I think there should be some rewards for the people that are making the effort to be different.”

Councillor David Glaholm (Ind, Penhill), who first raised the issue, said he was pleased with the decision, but that the rules would have to be reinforced with marked vehicles and cameras.

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

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IDFIMH

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IDFIMH

Depends on the signage on PHV's and if the council want to enforce it....now they're removing speed cameras I wonder where they'll get the money

CC

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

What costs FFS all they have to do is give a verbal go ahead, but to taxi only

Costs of enforcement

CC

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

If there allowed there wont be any need for enforcement

If there isnt enforcement then anyone will go in....cant see a little blue sign saying 'taxis and buses only' working.....some places have more vehicles than two cars, bus and a tractor Skip

CC

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

Enforcement of private vehicles.

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IDFIMH

my point exactly

CC

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

Weren't they enforcing that already? i.e. buses only?

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

yup!


but the extra cost might be the Wining and dining at every council meeting that they have to discuss such a complex issue, when i say complex it is an extremely difficult Yes/No answer that councils just cannot handle. this compounded further by them agreeing on Private hire and Hackneys...hmmmm are these Both working vehicles that do the Job for hire and reward and move People at those same peoples request and which the only major differance is...ones prebooked and one isnt????? then this even more compounded by a bigger decision as to whether these Vehicles can use the bus lanes only if carrying fair paying passengers but not when theyre empty of passengers......arggggggggggghhhh My brain hurts.


now all this thinking for a group of councillors to whom thinking clearly is not a natural reaction. now this is gonna cost Millions all these meetings and sub meetings...and guess whos gonna pay...

Sorry people, in my experience it needs enforced, even our beloved bus company down here say it needs enforced....and that costs money.

Now with PH....most areas have plates on the rear.....but that aside, a few more have door signs....not very many allow roof signs....the police in a few areas argue against PH using bus lanes on the basis that they are hardly distinguishable from a normal private motorist.

We could use cameras I suppose....but then, someone would need to be paid to sit in a room and look at a monitor and note registrations......or we could have those flash cameras.....which are good for a few yards.

CC

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

And a lot of PH's have a bloody great plate on the front to....and if the councils that dont supply front PH plates at present could start supplying them that would clear that limp excuse up, that and if a PH or Taxi gets a Bus lane ticket in error they could easily prove that they were entitlted to use such lanes by producing a Taxi/PH license for the vehicle in question.


So any mode of Hire and Reward Public carrying transport should be allowed to use bus lanes as its a similar service just on a reduced scale of vehicle occupancy.

We've been allowed in the bus lanes for years and nobody ever mentioned how much it was going to cost to let us use them. Can we stop this them and us with HC & Private Hire it's beginning to get on me tit. Apart from how I get my work will somebody explain the difference in my job to that of a HC.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!