Taxi Driver Online

Taxis to be allowed in Belfast bus lanes

The vast majority of taxis are to be allowed into bus lanes in Belfast for a year - including the lanes earmarked for the new Rapid Transit System. Class A taxis, also called private hire taxis, will be able to use bus lanes where certain taxis are being permitted as part of an "experimental scheme."

The Department for Infrastructure says the extensive trial is needed. It said a 12-week experiment allowing taxis into bus lanes last year proved inconclusive.

"Taking account of evidence that at least a year is needed to have full confidence in the evidence produced, the department has initiated work to undertake a more extensive trial lasting 12 months which will extend to all bus lanes where certain taxis are currently permitted", a spokesman said.

The department plans to introduce the year long scheme before the Belfast Rapid Transit System launches in September. "In making a decision to undertake a further trial the department has considered the level of demand for access which was evident from the responses to the trial and the recent consultation on 12-hour bus lanes on the Belfast Rapid Transit routes," a spokesman added.

The decision has been welcomed by private taxi operators including Karl Bennett, the managing director of Eastside Taxis in east Belfast. "When arguing for this, we felt it was beneficial, not just to ourselves as depot owners and indeed drivers, but we felt for those users, I mean we are service providers, we are providing a service for people on a daily basis, whether it be people going to hospital, people who are disabled who need access," he said.

"But we also believe there was a benefit in the traffic congestion and I think the evidence has played right and I think the Department for Infrastructure have made the right decision based on the evidence."

Promoters of public transport have warned that allowing taxis into bus lanes could impact on the success of the New Rapid Transit System. Gordon Clarke is the Director of Sustrans NI. "We've got to share the space and I think we've got to allocate more space for cycling, that's the cycle network", he said.

Public transport is the answer to our congestion because public transport is the most efficient way of moving people in and out of cities and the future of Belfast with the plans to bring in 60,000 more people living, 45,000 more jobs, you can only achieve that with a really good public transport system.

"So I don't want to see anything that compromises public transport and I kind of feel that allowing taxis into bus lanes, that's a big risk and it's one that's not worth taking."

The Department has said it is aware of the opposition to allowing Class A taxis to use bus lanes and will continue to work to achieve the best outcome for all.

A spokesperson for Translink said: "Bus routes are essential for the state of the art, high frequency Belfast Rapid Transit "Glider" system, which will be introduced in September. "We await the outcome of the impact of this trial on public transport."

A consultation on the experimental scheme is due to take place later this spring.

_________________
IDFIMH

_________________
IDFIMH

Can't find any recent articles about it, but there's a Radio Ulster discussion on here - apparently there's a consultation about it, but it's only lasting three weeks, lots of talk about democracy and accountability etc

Seems to be nearly 44 mins long, so only bus lane obsessives should listen in:

4500 private hire taxis could flood Belfast's bus lanes - that's the warning from the Unite union

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06bmcy4

Unite the Union petition launched against taxis using Belfast's new Glider bus lanes

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belf ... g-14809817

Unite is scathing of the taxi proposals - which Davy Thompson said were published quietly by unaccountable civil servants

A petition has been launched in a bid to stop Stormont plans to allow thousands of Belfast taxi drivers into bus lanes designed for the new rapid transport scheme.

Unite the Union are also urging the public to have their say on the issue - but you only have three weeks to submit your opinion to a public consultation.

Unite regional coordinating officer Davy Thompson is scathing of taxi proposals - which he says were published quietly last week by unaccountable civil servants at the Department of Infrastructure (DfI).

He said plans to open bus lanes across the city will reverse years of Executive policy to promote public transport and flood the 'rapid' new system with an estimated 4,500 private taxis.

Mr Thompson added: "With virtually no publicity whatsoever, the Department of Infrastructure quietly launched a mere three week consultation on proposals that would have the potential to transform the status of public transport in Belfast.

"Aside from a copy of the legal changes involved, the department’s website provides virtually no documentation on what is being promoted as an 'experimental' and temporary proposal but one very likely to become permanent if it proceeds.

"They have offered no studies on the dramatic impact that this will have on bus services, there is no pro-forma to encourage members of the public to engage with the consultation and no public meetings to engage those who will be most affected.

"For decades, locally accountable Ministers have adopted consistent policies to promote public transport and the transition to a healthier and environmentally-sustainable transport system but now unelected officials in the Department of Infrastructure are seeking to overturn that and offer virtually no opportunity for members of the public to find out about their plans, let alone raise any opposition.

"As well as bus drivers and those who are reliant on bus services, there is strong opposition to these proposals from the growing numbers who use the lanes freely to cycle around the city.

"It is hard to see how this can be anything other than a sop to powerful, vested interests.

"Opening bus lanes to an estimated four thousand five hundred taxis has the potential to wreak havoc on bus schedules and to reverse the progress made in encouraging drivers to leave their cars behind. As every full bus means fifty less cars on our roads – this proposal is likely to led to a rise in traffic congestion.

"We cannot allow unelected civil servants, at the behest of wealthy private taxi owners, to undermine public transport in our city."

The deadline to have your say in the public consultation is Friday, July 6.

Unite are urging the public to "bombard" DfI with emails on their concerns to transportlegislationbranch@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.

Except when they're empty and they're just causing pollution and congestion.



Or maybe making better use of under-utilised space, thus easing congestion overall?



Nothing to do with thousands of drivers, then?


I take it Unite don't represent taxi drivers in Northern Ireland, then? Thought they argued for access to bus lanes across here, or am I barking up the wrong tree? Or maybe it's just Hackneys...

lets face it this story has been popping up on here for over 3 years now they keep changing their minds

bus lanes should be buses and wheelchair access vehicles only if you open them up to PH other cars think they can sneak in as they look a bit like a PH

result chaos

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I assume black cabs are allowed in the lanes already?

Hence Unite's convenient failure to mention that fact?

Really in which authorities in which PH are allowed to use bus lanes/gates does this chaos occur, if I was cynical I would suspect your viewpoint is more to do with giving Hackney's a commercial advantage.

PH have recently been allowed to use the bus lanes here in Chester for an 18 month trial period. I have seen a marked increase in private cars following them into the bus lanes, usually cutting right across in front of me! Not to worry, the new enforcement cameras go ‘live’ shortly. ( a sneaky plan by the council perhaps ?)

In my neck of the woods they have recently renewed all the signage for bus lanes and gates but there's next to zero enforcement as the local plod can't be bothered to enforce them, hardly a day goes by when a private car doesn't follow a police car through a bus gate and they just look the other way, but I'm not surprised at the police as they can't be bothered to a lot lately.

In my area all PH and taxis from anywhere, except London, can use our bus lanes.

And we have about 30 enforcement cameras to fill the council's coffers.

_________________
IDFIMH

I'm amazed uber haven't had them in court for discrimination surely it should be local only or from anywhere without exception

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Yes, amazing the Law Commission didn't pick that up when it was opening the cross-border floodgates

Uber has banned their TfL vehicles from the area.

The traffic order only exempts vehicles licensed under the 1847 and 1976 acts, so that excludes TfL vehicles.

_________________
IDFIMH

So Plymouth Hackneys in, Plymouth PH out?

_________________
Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related