Taxi Driver Online

One to make Sussex happy

Apart from the misleading headline


Cyclists fear danger as Portsmouth bus lanes are opened up to private hire and taxi drivers

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/polit ... rs-3494296

HUNDREDS more cars are set to be allowed to use Portsmouth bus lanes after the council approved a trial in which they will be opened up to private hire vehicles.

Despite warnings from cycle groups that a ‘three-fold’ increase in the use of bus lanes could endanger the lives of cyclists, cabinet member for transport Lynne Stagg backed the move on Monday.

However, she said the council would be ‘reactive to evidence’ during the trial, which is set to start in March and run for a minimum of three months.

‘I have concerns, I’ll be the first to admit,’ Cllr Stagg said at her decision-making meeting on Monday. ‘For a start, bus lanes are meant to be for buses and we want to encourage more people to use buses. But as long as it doesn’t slow them down then that’s reasonably okay.’

She said any future decision on making the temporary permission permanent was ‘entirely up to the drivers’.

‘The onus is on private hire drivers,’ she said. ‘If safety is compromised, if casualties increase, if there are more complaints then that’s it – the trial fails.’

Just under 1,000 private hire vehicles are registered in the city compared to the 214 Hackney cabs licensed through the council that can already use bus lanes.

Previous attempts were made in 2011 and 2015 to allow them access but these were abandoned due to opposition from Hampshire Police, bus operators and cyclists.

But a council report said a ‘closely-monitored’ trial would be acceptable.

Only two community groups submitted objections to the trial, both on the grounds it would make travelling more dangerous for cyclists.

Portsmouth Cycle Forum, which said it would not attribute its statement to any single member following threats of violence received when it opposed the 2015 proposal, called on the council to scrap the trial.

‘It is very hard to understand why the council wants to progress this proposal, other than the suggestion it is to placate drivers who are now hit by Clean Air Zone charges,’ it said.

‘We agree that private hire vehicles can provide a service to replace private cabs out of hours or when bus services are less frequent but at these times there is no congestion and so don’t need to use bus lanes.

‘Any trial will be an experiment with live human subjects in the form of cyclists and taxi drivers. It is quite possible in this context one of those subjects could be seriously injured or killed.’

Similar concerns were raised by Walk Ride Waterlooville.

The use of bus lanes by private hire vehicles is allowed in a number of other towns and cities across the UK, including Southampton.

The trial has been welcomed by councillor Scott Payter-Harris, who has long called for it, but he said a period of more than three months would be more effective.

‘This is a good move forward for the private hire trade,’ he said. ‘It’s something they’ve been pushing for for a long time.

‘I do think for a more complete dataset we realistically need to be looking at a minimum of six months so you can see drivers’ patterns and behaviours.’

Work to set up the trial and monitor its progress will be overseen by a new working group made up of bus, taxi, council and cycling representatives.

Obviously about as much of a clue as the headline writer

Just let the PH use the bus lanes.

If cyclists don't like it then tough.

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IDFIMH

You couldn't make it up.

Portsmouth's bus lane taxi trial has been pulled at the last minute

A trial to allow private hire drivers in Portsmouth to use bus lanes has been postponed a week before it had been due to start.

The city council said the impact changes to the Highway Code giving greater priority to pedestrians and cyclists in January meant more research was now needed but industry representatives have questioned the decision.

"We are committed to making sure this trial is run as safely as possible and with the most up to date research at our fingertips," cabinet member for transport Lynne Stagg said.

She said the council was writing to other local authorities to ‘share our collective knowledge and learn from each other’ and said the trial would now start in the summer.

"We are working closely with users of bus lanes in the city to make sure they are informed and empowered to use the bus lanes in the correct manner," she added.

The trial had been due to start on March 25 and run for a minimum of three months having been approved by Cllr Stagg in December, despite admitting she had ‘concerns’ over it.

Objections were also made from cycling groups who warned allowing the 1,000 private hire drivers in the city to use bus lanes could lead to the serious injury or death of cyclists.

Private hire taxi drivers had campaigned for permission to use bus lanes in the city for years and said the decision to postpone the trial was ‘staggering’

"The changes to the Highway Code were made three months ago and now they are being used to justify delaying the trial a week before it was due to start," Uber driver representative Peter Sutherland said.

"There’s been a reluctance in some areas of the council to ever run the trial.

"If, somehow, the changes may have an effect on bus lanes, then is usage being suspended for all other vehicles whilst the matter is bring investigated?"

He said there had been no advanced warning from the council nor any suggestion of a postponement.

Councillor Scott Payter-Harris, the vice-chairman of the council’s licensing committee who worked with taxi drivers to bring the proposal forward, said the decision was ‘disappointing’.

"I hope there’s a change of heart," he said.

"It’s a bit of a poor excuse and a stab in the back for taxi drivers.

"We would not have treated the bus companies this way; they deserve better."

No new date has been set for the start of the trial.

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IDFIMH

well what did you expect

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

Something rotten about a system where the Cycling minority seem to have been given full and final say on what the much bigger majority of car drivers can or can't do.

Those cyclists are still moaning.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/polit ... up-3756864

They act just like kids who don't get their way.

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IDFIMH

what do you expect the majority are probably millennials

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

This is an official council news release.

As a sop to the cyclists, they've included an online form to report near misses

And, for the same reason, the trial seems to be limited to certain bus lanes rather than the whole lot.


City trials faster private hire journeys

4 November 2022

https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/2022/11/0 ... -journeys/

People ordering private hire vehicles such as Aqua Cars, Uber and Bolt which are licenced in Portsmouth will now be able to benefit from more efficient journeys in five key points of the city, as part of a trial by Portsmouth City Council.

From November 14, Portsmouth-licensed private hire vehicles – cars that can be booked using a phone or an app but can’t use taxi ranks – will be able to use five bus lanes in the city, in the same way that taxis, emergency vehicles on blue lights, pedal cycles and rental e-scooters already can.

The trial will last for at least three months and has been given the go ahead in response to requests from private hire vehicle drivers in the city. It is in line with the council’s vision to provide easy, faster travel options for everyone in the city 24 hours a day, including those who cannot easily walk, cycle, or take the bus.

As part of the trial the council has consulted with bus lane users in the city and has agreed to monitor the trial using a wide range of measurements including cycling near misses that can reported by using an online form.

Cllr Lynne Stagg, cabinet member for traffic and transportation in Portsmouth said: “This trial has been a long time in development because we want to get it right for every bus lane user. My number one requirement for this trial is that it be carried out safely, and that has been reflected in the lanes that we have chosen to use, and the number of conversations we have had with all bus lane users, from cyclists to taxi and private hire drivers, to the bus companies themselves.

“We have committed to try this for at least three months, but if we feel there is a serious safety concern, we can stop the trial at any time. I would ask the public to help keep everyone safe by following the highway code and reporting any cycling and walking near misses they see or experience as road users to the council, so we have all the information available to us.”

The council will continue to engage with bus lane users throughout the trial. Analysis of the trial data will be reported to a future traffic and transportation decision meeting and will help determine whether private hire vehicles can use these five bus lanes in future. Drivers of private hire vehicles are reminded to give other bus lane users space and always follow the Highway Code.

The bus lanes that are included in the trial are:

Cavell Drive which accesses QA hospital
Marketway (westbound), which runs behind Cascades shopping centre allowing people to get to Portsea, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Gunwharf Quays among others
Queen Street near HMS Nelson
Bishop Crispian Way which runs past Victoria Park (Straight ahead into Queen Street only at the junction with Anglesea Road/Alfred Road)
Mile End Road (southbound) which runs past the Ferry Port on the way into the city

Temporary yellow information signs will be in place along the five bus lanes at the beginning of the trial. These signs will be removed after several weeks. This will not mark the end of the trial.

You can report a cycling near miss on the council website http://www.portsmouth.gov.uk search ‘near miss’ or through Hampshire constabulary’s Hants SNAP.

More information on the trial is available on the Portsmouth City Council webpage [includes maps].

Interesting that they specifically mention Uber and Bolt, but access is limited to Portsmouth-plated PHVs only, so I wonder where Uber and Bolt plate the cars they use down there?

As for Aqua, see the other bumped thread.

Would of been informative if there had been a picture of the proposed traffic sign provided as it will have to comply with the highway code road signs.

Yes, Heathcote. Had a look for the first two on the list, and this is all I could find in terms of current signage:

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.8509773 ... 384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.8034435 ... 384!8i8192

So presumably to make them legally watertight, they'll have to include something like:

'Private hire vehicles licensed by Portsmouth City Council'

Which seems unlikely, or am I overegging what would be needed on the sign?

Nottingham has signs that state WAV taxi only but not heard of or seen any that specify restricted to locally licensed

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

Portsmouth licensed private hire vehicles in bus lanes trial proves a success

https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/2024/01/2 ... a-success/

Allowing private hire vehicles to use five bus lanes in Portsmouth to improve reliability has proved a success.

Portsmouth City Council carried out a successful 14-month trial of Portsmouth-licensed private hire vehicles – cars that can be booked using a phone or an app but can’t use taxi ranks – giving them permission to use five bus lanes to improve reliability of their journeys. This means recommendations are being put forward to make the trial locations permanent (Cavell Drive, Mile End Road, Marketway, Bishop Crispian Way and Queens Street) and to carry out road safety audits on an initial further 14 bus lanes for potential expansion in the future.

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Private hire vehicles provide essential transport in the city especially for those travelling in groups or for those that can’t catch the bus, walk or cycle. Developing and improving the reliability of public transport is essential for our residents and businesses in Portsmouth whilst also ensuring the safety of road users when making changes in the city. I look forward to considering the recommendations.”

All bus lanes can be used by buses and coaches as well as “Hackney carriage” taxis, emergency vehicles, pedal cycles and rental e-scooters. This trial has taken a considered approach to expanding this to include private hire vehicles in some bus lanes, and monitoring carried out during the trial showed a slight improvement in journey times. If made permanent the sites will continue to be monitored.

More information on the trial is available on the Portsmouth City Council webpage.

The Transport decision meeting will take place on Tuesday 30 January.

Very happy with this outcome.

But one wonders exactly how this couldn't have improved service/reliability.

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IDFIMH