Taxi Driver Online

Minicab drivers call for a relaxing of Leeds bus lane restrictions

MINI cab drivers in Leeds are demanding they be allowed to operate in bus lanes - in line with their Hackney Carriage colleagues and with drivers in other cities.

A petition with more than 1,000 names has been handed in to council bosses by campaigners.

They say the current legislation is “not sensible” and is “unfair”.

They claim private hire drivers have to travel much longer distances to pick up and drop off clientele, resulting in delays and congestion.

They are also questioning why bus lanes are in operation 24 hours a day, when buses do not operate round the clock.

The petition states: “This is not sensible from a transportation, environmental and customer perspective.

“In addition it is unfair that one mode of small vehicle people-transporting service (Hackney Carriage) can use the bus lanes but another doing exactly the same work (private hire) cannot.”

The petition also points out that other large cities, like Liverpool, already allow private hire cars to use their bus lanes.

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council said: “Bus priority measures provide valuable time savings and service reliability across the city.

“The possibility of allowing private hire vehicles to use bus lanes has been previously investigated by the council.

“It was considered however, that to take such a decision with over 4,000 private hire vehicles registered in Leeds would have a significant detrimental impact on bus reliability and make the bus lanes more intimidating for cyclists.”

source: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... -1-7089999

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

This is the petition info.

http://www.lphda.co.uk/appform/LPHDABUSLANEPETITION.pdf

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IDFIMH

Minicab drivers hand in bus lane petition



Minicab drivers have handed in a petition with more than 1,000 names calling for the right to use bus lanes in Leeds.

Campaigners say private hire vehicles should be given the same rights as hackney carriages, which are allowed to use the bus lanes. The drivers say other cities, such as Liverpool and Glasgow, already give equal treatment to all taxi drivers. Organiser Mohammed Sajaad was joined by fellow private hire drivers when he handed in the petition at Civic Hall.

Mr Sajaad, who works for Yeadon-based SJK and lives in Bradford, said: “The reason we are doing this is because private hire vehicles are essentially doing the same job as hackney carriages. We are only asking for equality.”

A spokesman for the city council said: “The possibility of allowing private hire vehicles to use bus lanes was investigated by the council.

“It was considered, however, that to take such a decision with over 4,000 private hire vehicles in Leeds would have a significant detrimental impact on bus reliability and make the bus lanes more intimidating for cyclists.”

http://www.wharfedaleobserver.co.uk/new ... _petition/

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

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

This topic seems strangely familiar . . . can't think why though . . .