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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:10 am 
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Fears for future of Melton area bus replacement service after taxi driver gets parking ticket

https://www.meltontimes.co.uk/business/ ... -1-9204146

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Driver Tracey Cheetham (left) and passenger Stella Goodacre, of Gaddesby
Image: Melton Times

A taxi driver who was picking up passengers in Melton as part of the new bus replacement service for rural villagers was angry to be handed a parking ticket by a passing traffic warden.

Tracey Cheetham stopped at the Windsor Street bus stop to collect villagers from Gaddesby and says she was only there for a couple of minutes when she was given the ticket and told only buses could stop there.

Angry passengers who use the service, which was introduced last month after the 128 bus route was axed as part of a cost-cutting exercise, say they are worried taxi drivers will be put off operating the service if there is a continued threat of themn being penalised by parking wardens.

Leicestershire County Council says bus replacement taxi drivers are permitted to stop at bus stops for their passengers and that an appeal lodged against this particular parking ticket is being considered.

Ms Cheetham, a driver with Premier Taxis Leicester, told the Melton Times: “When I arrived to pick up my passengers in Windsor Street I got out and opened the boot to put their shopping bags in and a warden came up to me and handed me a ticket.

“I explained I was picking them up as a replacement for the bus service and that the county council had authorised it and she just said ‘tough’ and said she had issued the ticket now.

“It will cost me £35 if I pay it inside two weeks or £70 if not.

“I’ve written to the council to appeal but it could put off taxi drivers doing this service if we are going to get a ticket every time.”

Berryl Perriam, who was a passenger in the taxi, said: “I was concerned because Tracey was given this ticket and told she wasn’t supposed to park at a bus stop.

“It’s not right really because she was replacing the bus.”

Leicestershire County Council, which subsidises bus services where they are not viable to run solely as commercial enterprises, cut a number of services from December 21 as part of a need to find savings in its budget.

It revealed figures which showed that some services had barely anyone travelling on them.

Demand Response Transport (DRT) was introduced for some villages, including Gaddesby, whereby residents can pre-book taxis on a limited number of days of the week to replace the buses they lost.

The 128 service, which travelled between Melton and Leicester south of the A607, was axed because of poor usage and replaced with a DRT option, operated by Premier Taxis Leicester.

It carries passengers to Melton and Syston from Gaddesby, Ratcliffe on the Wreake, Thrussington, Hoby, Frisby and households north of the railway line at Kirby Bellars.

Leaflets given to villagers state that the DRT would drop off and collect passengers from the bus stop in Windsor Street.

Gaddesby villager Stella Goodacre, who has regularly used the DRT service since it was introduced said: “It is a good service but my worry is these drivers won’t want to do it if they are going to be given parking tickets.

“It’s not fair on them and it’s not fair on us if we lose this service as well as the buses.”

Another villager who uses the DRT - Wendy Hutchins - said residents have been assured it would give them access to health appointments but she said: “The last appointment at Syston doctors is 10.20am and the DRT arrives at 10.10am and the blood clinic also finishes at 10am so it’s no good for us at all.”

Another taxi firm, Elaine’s of Melton, contacted us to say one of their drivers had also been given a parking ticket while operating a DRT service in Windsor Street.

Mark Faulkner, one of the owners of the company which runs bus replacement services out to Ab Kettleby, Wartnaby, Knossington and Oakham, said: “We did appeal and it was overturned and we now carry the letter saying it is OK but the traffic wardens write the tickets before talking to you.

“They need retraining.”

A spokesperson from Leicestershire County Council said: “Our DRT taxi drivers are permitted to drop off and pick up in designated bus stops at the scheduled time of operation.

“We are aware that an appeal of this particular ticket has been received which we are currently considering.

“Our parking officers are trained to observe parking offences and establish whether there is a legitimate reason for issuing a parking penalty, and on this particular occasion it was not obvious to the parking officer that the vehicle was a taxi.”

The spokesperson added: “We have four regular passengers on the new DRT service and many residents who use it occasionally - this level was expected from the use of the previous bus service.

“We are pleased that we are receiving good feedback from our DRT users and will continue to work alongside the taxi companies to ensure these services continue.”


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:13 am 
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Another comment left on the website from someone from the aforementioned Elaine's Taxis:

Peter Faulkner wrote:
One of our drivers at Elaine's received a ticket for the same reason. We appealed and the ticket was overturned and our drivers now carry a copy of the letter from the County Council to show to the civil enforcement officers.


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 9:44 am 
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I think I mentioned the incident with our driver on here at the time. We have some very over zealous parking enforcement officers around here, unless it is someone parked on a taxi rank, not many of them get a ticket.

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 11:23 am 
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I was always led to believe that taxis can legally pick up and drop off at bus stops we do regularly for shearings' customers and others catching a bus

It is also legal for buses to pick up and drop off on taxi ranks I believe

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 12:18 pm 
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edders23 wrote:
I was always led to believe that taxis can legally pick up and drop off at bus stops we do regularly for shearings' customers and others catching a bus

It is also legal for buses to pick up and drop off on taxi ranks I believe


Yes you are correct, but only Taxis - NOT PRIVATE HIRE - it defines "Taxi" and "Private Hire" at the beginning of the SI, but I am not including that here:

Statutory Instrument Number 3113 of 2002, Schedule 19, Regulation 19, paragraph 4 section (d).

Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 3113
The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002

SCHEDULE 19
Regulation 29

BUS STOP AND BUS STAND CLEARWAYS AND BOX JUNCTIONS

Other exceptions

4. - (1) Nothing in paragraph 2 applies in relation to -
(a) a vehicle being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes;

(b) anything done with the permission or at the direction of -
(i) a constable in uniform;

(ii) a traffic warden; or

(iii) where the clearway is in a special parking area designated under Part II of the Road Traffic Act 1991 or Schedule 3 to that Act, a parking attendant appointed under section 63A of the 1984 Act[41];

(c) a vehicle which is prevented from proceeding by circumstances beyond the driver's control or which has to be stopped in order to avoid injury or damage to persons or property;

(d) a taxi which is stationary only for so long as may be reasonably necessary for a passenger to board or alight and to load or unload any luggage of the passenger;

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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:57 pm 
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Chris the Fish wrote:
edders23 wrote:
I was always led to believe that taxis can legally pick up and drop off at bus stops we do regularly for shearings' customers and others catching a bus

It is also legal for buses to pick up and drop off on taxi ranks I believe


Yes you are correct, but only Taxis - NOT PRIVATE HIRE - it defines "Taxi" and "Private Hire" at the beginning of the SI, but I am not including that here:

Statutory Instrument Number 3113 of 2002, Schedule 19, Regulation 19, paragraph 4 section (d).

Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 3113
The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002

SCHEDULE 19
Regulation 29

BUS STOP AND BUS STAND CLEARWAYS AND BOX JUNCTIONS

Other exceptions

4. - (1) Nothing in paragraph 2 applies in relation to -
(a) a vehicle being used for fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes;

(b) anything done with the permission or at the direction of -
(i) a constable in uniform;

(ii) a traffic warden; or

(iii) where the clearway is in a special parking area designated under Part II of the Road Traffic Act 1991 or Schedule 3 to that Act, a parking attendant appointed under section 63A of the 1984 Act[41];

(c) a vehicle which is prevented from proceeding by circumstances beyond the driver's control or which has to be stopped in order to avoid injury or damage to persons or property;

(d) a taxi which is stationary only for so long as may be reasonably necessary for a passenger to board or alight and to load or unload any luggage of the passenger;


If the vehicles are operating an official TAXI bus service on behalf of the Council surely they can pick up or drop off in any designated bus stop on route,whilst operating this type of service they cannot ply for hire.


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2020 7:54 pm 
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All taxi and PH can pick up and drop off at a bus stop.

The Makda judgement indirectly (it dealt with red lines) says why.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15938

Buses can only drop off at a taxi rank in an emergency, if there is no where else to drop. They cannot pick up from a taxi rank.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:16 am 
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edders23 wrote:
I was always led to believe that taxis can legally pick up and drop off at bus stops we do regularly for shearings' customers and others catching a bus

It is also legal for buses to pick up and drop off on taxi ranks I believe


as long as you aren't blocking the bus stop they can't issue a ticket.


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 9:51 am 
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Nidge2 wrote:
edders23 wrote:
I was always led to believe that taxis can legally pick up and drop off at bus stops we do regularly for shearings' customers and others catching a bus

It is also legal for buses to pick up and drop off on taxi ranks I believe


as long as you aren't blocking the bus stop they can't issue a ticket.

Clearly they can issue a ticket but it gets overturned at appeal.

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 2:46 pm 
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Sussex wrote:
All taxi and PH can pick up and drop off at a bus stop.

The Makda judgement indirectly (it dealt with red lines) says why.

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=15938

Buses can only drop off at a taxi rank in an emergency, if there is no where else to drop. They cannot pick up from a taxi rank.


Disagree, because Bus Stops and Taxi Ranks are covered in SI 3113 of 2002 and the Makda Judgement did not address it.

Elsewhere in the same SI it clarifies that Busses can pick up or set down in Taxi Ranks but may not wait there. It is a reciprocal arrangement, and, by the definitions, Private Hire are explicitly excluded.

Neither Bus Stops nor Taxi Ranks are "Red Line" zones.

From SI 3113
Quote.
“taxi” means—
(a)in England and Wales, a vehicle licensed under—
(i)section 37 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847(11); or
(ii)section 6 of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869(12);
or under any similar enactment; and
(b)in Scotland, a taxi licensed under section 10 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982(13);
“taxi rank” means an area of carriageway reserved for use by taxis waiting to pick up passengers;
End Quote.

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 2:32 pm 
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Bless them, they have just given one of our drivers a ticket whilst he was loading a disabled passenger and her shopping into the car. This time it was on a double yellow line and not a bus stop.

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 3:29 pm 
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grandad wrote:
Bless them, they have just given one of our drivers a ticket whilst he was loading a disabled passenger and her shopping into the car. This time it was on a double yellow line and not a bus stop.



don't they train them properly ours give cars a few minutes to move on double yellows and will ask cars to move parked on taxi ranks issuing a ticket only happens if driver doesn't appear

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 4:22 pm 
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edders23 wrote:
grandad wrote:
Bless them, they have just given one of our drivers a ticket whilst he was loading a disabled passenger and her shopping into the car. This time it was on a double yellow line and not a bus stop.



don't they train them properly

I don't think they train them at all. I think we should be able to claim compensation when they issue an incorrect ticket to cover our admin costs.

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PostPosted: Fri Feb 14, 2020 11:43 pm 
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Taxis operating a registered local bus service are classed as "buses" for the purpose of the Act. But they must have the word BUS on display as well as a route or service number. That will be on the route registration.


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:04 pm 
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grandad wrote:
Bless them, they have just given one of our drivers a ticket whilst he was loading a disabled passenger and her shopping into the car. This time it was on a double yellow line and not a bus stop.

Clearly appeal, but also make a formal complaint about the professionalism, or not, of the local wardens.

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