Taxi Driver Online

Birmingham minicabs in 'go slow' protest over bus lane cameras




Minicab drivers warn of fare increases for passengers if they are not allowed in the Broad Street bus lane

Minicab drivers are set to hold a ‘go slow’ protest around Birmingham City Centre on Thursday in opposition to plans to ban them from bus lanes on Broad Street.

The protest comes after council bosses announced they will start issuing fines to anyone other than buses or black taxi cabs using the bus only section at the Paradise Circus end of Broad Street.

But private hire drivers claim they too should be allowed to use the lane, particularly at evenings and weekends when they are taking thousands of revellers and tourists to and from Broad Street venues.

They will hand a petition in to council transport bosses at Lancaster House at 3pm, before going on a slow drive around the city centre.

Spokesman for the protesters Tanveer Salim said: “We take about 80 per cent of the journeys from Broad Street at busy times. We are part of the public transport network in this city.

"This is going to increase queues, increase journey times and increase the fares for our passengers. If we are stuck in traffic or going the long way round the meter is still running, it is the passengers who will end up paying.”

He said they are asking for the council to allow private hire cars to use the lane, particularly at evenings and weekends, without the threat of enforcement and suggested they are given a six month trial.

And added that the go slow is about showing the level of support for the protest and they hoped not to inconvenience commuters.

The city council has previously been left with egg on its face when it introduced bus lane cameras in Priory Queensway and had to cancel tens of thousands of fines because the warning signs were not up to scratch.

A council spokeswoman said: “Bus lanes were introduced on the city’s main arterial routes to maintain the flow of traffic in and out of Birmingham and improve the reliability of buses. The more traffic is allowed to use bus lanes, the more it will devalue the lanes’ purpose.”

She said that too often allowing minicabs to use the lanes convinces regular motorists to follow.

“It should be noted that this demonstration by private hire drivers is over more rigorous enforcement of an existing bus lane on Broad Street, and we are already in discussions with the private hire trade about this issue,” she added.

source: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/incomin ... st-9751319

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

What a bellend.

Private hire cars with meters? I thought PH had to agree a fare in advance.

i have never stood why PH are discriminated against by not having access to bus lanes after all PH or Hackney there both public transport and half the time the hackneys are doing private hire work anyway.
As to other drivers being more likely to use bus lane because they see PHs using it that is total BS the reason that drivers are tempted to use bus lanes/gates is weak enforcement this is an issue in Doncaster at the moment eveyday i see ordinary drivers going through the bus gates followed by police cars who take no action at all against them.

Why is he not stating a FACT

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Correct on every point apart from the meter

They may also have a meter.

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Grandad,

Oh no.

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IDFIMH

In some areas they are not, and access has been successfully fought for for many years.

In all fairness to the local council down here, they wouldn't dream of ever having a lane that allows hackneys but not PH.

They even allow hackneys and PH from everywhere else to use those bus lanes.

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IDFIMH

A hackney can use any bus lane in the UK, if there is signage stating this, the signage can only state busses and taxis only, and not where they come from

You know that you are wronk with this statement Skippy.

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Grandad,

Only if the word 'taxi' is shown on the signage. There are lanes that are exclusively for busses only.
http://m.tsrgd.co.uk/signs.html?id=5

Also, in Nottingham it is wheelchair accessible taxis only. There is a traffic order in place.

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Grandad,

Isn't that the one that's raking in £200,000 every three months?

I don't know how much they are raking in but your figure would not surprise me.

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Grandad,