Taxi Driver Online

Don't blame cabs for pollution

Thursday’s Oxford Mail entitled Emission Zone Isn’t Working, I was surprised that taxis were included in the list of polluting vehicles.

I was also surprised by the comments by Louisa Weeks of the Oxford Bus Company, who said that she was frustrated that the Low Emissions Zone will not include taxis.

Taxis are responsible for less than six per cent of Oxford’s traffic pollution, buses for 80 per cent, and all other traffic 14 per cent.

We all have to accept that the pollution levels in Oxford city centre have to be reduced.

Bus and taxi drivers spend their whole working day in our polluted streets. If their cabs were office buildings they would be closed down by the Health & Safety Executive.

But as normal, the bus companies take yet another opportunity to sway opinion in their attempts to get rid of every other form of transport from within the city centre. I think Ms Weeks is barking up the wrong tree when she talks of “frustration” that the LEZ will not include taxis.

After all, as every person who ever takes their lives into their own hands every time they visit the city centre will know, Oxford has become one massive bus station over the years.

No one from the local authorities has been prepared to use transport legislation – which allows them to apply to the traffic commissioners to reduce the number of bus journeys wherever they cause excessive pollution and, or, congestion.

As for taxis, even though my members’ vehicles are only responsible for six per cent of the pollution, we have accepted the need to reduce our carbon footprint even further, and have signed up to an Oxford City Council initiative where particulate trap exhaust systems or LPG engines are fitted to the city’s black cabs. This starts in 2010.

Approximately 40 per cent of our cabs already comply with Euro 3 specifications.

In 2013 every cab will be required to be Euro4 compliant.

So it won’t be too long before taxi pollution is responsible for causing less than four per cent of the city’s road traffic pollution.

However, every time one class of vehicle is barred from an area of the city, it just gets filled up with more buses and more bus pollution. How frustrating is that?

ALAN WOODWARD, General Secretary, City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (Colta)

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

That's a fair shout actually. It always amazes me how much buses (which I usually see running with three people on them) seem to be the darling of transport policy yet at certain times they're the only thing on the streets. I've even seen situations where it's the buses causing the traffic jams and, because nothing else can get near to the roads they're using, it's buses causing bus-jams.

The whole emissions thing is a red herring.

It appears to me that the buses don't travel at any great speed in this area so perhaps electric buses would be less polluting

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

We got 52 seat public services buses doing Dozens of 100 mile round trip all over the Borders...yet your lucky if you see anyone else other than the driver on them...how economical and environmentally friendly is that?

At least a Taxi or a PH is either going to collect a passenger or indeed has a passenger onboard..unlike buses we dont drive around all day in the hope someone might hop aboard...just so as the government can say we have a wonderful rural bus service...

Or even reduce the number of buses. Here in Glasgow there are a few services that seem to run mostly empty at 90 second intervals.

Wont be much use in a few years as they say we are to have severe shortages in electricty supplies. Best we go back to steam engines maybe

To be honest we should actually try walking from A to B We are without a doubt a very lazy country

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

Is that more than 50 yards??

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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Nowt wrong with walking a couple of miles

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

A to B around here is usually a bloody long walk Toots

I know that, but, we were referring to London and A to B is probably quicker to get to if you walk. My nearest shop is a little over a mile away and I walk there and back, well, I do at the moment but not sure about the winter

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

You'd be better off going to the pub....its closer

CC

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

I would but people would look at me strange going all that way just for a glass of coke

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

that is a very heavy habit

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I know I'd give it up and swap it for a glass of wine but I'd have to be sure there was somebody there to ensure I didn't fall over or wander off with a random stranger

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