Taxi Driver Online

today one of the local cabbies was telling everyone about receiving a ticket for driving in a bus lane in London which was cancelled after the intervention of the local taxi enforcement officer. This has started me thinking firstly I was unaware that any Hackney plated vehicle can use Bus lanes because I was led to believe by most of what I have read on the matter that they were covered by local bylaws and that exceptions were only for local vehicles. Secondly I don't see why this particular driver should be able to ask the taxi enforcement officer to deal with it I would have thought it was outside of his brief ?

Can any of you experts in taxi law clarify this and in respect of the bus lanes thing does this mean bus lanes anywhere in the country which are open to taxis can be used by taxis from outside of the district as well as local ones.

( By taxis i am referring to Hackney plated vehicles)

Its a matter for the local authority.

Some areas permit the use of bus lanes, some areas do not.

Some areas permit both HC's & PHV's to use bus lanes, some areas only permit HC's.

I understand in areas where the use of bus lanes is permitted, hackney carriages from other districts can use the lanes.

Regards

CC

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

From memory the bus lanes in London (that allow taxis in) only say taxis not just London taxis.

So providing your vehicle license says you are a taxi (hackney carriage) licensed under the 1847 act, then you are freely allowed to use any bus lane in London that the London black cabs can.

Outside of London it might be slightly different because the local traffic orders might just say only locally licensed taxis can use their bus lanes.

Bit of a nightmare I'm afraid, but we're all well use to that.

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IDFIMH

I have driven my Hackney Vehicle many a time on the London Bus Lanes, I have never been issued a Fine, I am not a London Hackney. As far as I am aware as long as you do not leave your vehicle parked on the Lane unatended a non London Hackney may use the Lanes, the wording is Bus and Taxi, if it was"Bus and London Taxi" I would not dare to enter the Lane!!

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pussycat

Luckily none of the Bus Lane signs in London say 'minicab'.

Buses cycles Taxi's and Licenced Private Hire Vehicles only

In Warrington

If a vehicle is correctly licenced then he is providing the same service as a Hackney and should be allowed. In fact they provide a better service than a hackney simply because it gives mums with kids, elderly and infirn the mobility they require door to door.


Over to you GBC.................................................

I think you may find your answer in the fact that the Cycle sign does not discriminate, the bus sign does not discriminate, which would lead one to believe that the Taxi sign does not discriminate? If any of the signs were to be restrictive then those restrictions would be shown.

Regards

JD

I was at Heathrow yesterday, dropping off customers, I had seen the M25 South was gridlocked and was looking to ask a London Taxi an alternative route, I saw a Rank and was about to approach the Taxi Drivers when!!! I saw the sign "Buses and London Taxis only" That was enough for me to carry on, I did'nt find it discriminating, I respect the fact that customers could be confused if out of District Taxis were near or on the Rank, thinking they could hire them; at the same time respecting someone elses home ground. It didn't take me long to find a Petrol Station and a knowledge-able Taxi Driver. (My Navigator could'nt have given me as good a response)

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pussycat

Can anyone tell us if the capital displays bus lane signs that say London Taxis only? If they don't then I assume any taxi can drive in them.

Regards

JD

No but they might soon say LPH.

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IDFIMH

I think there was a parking adjudicator's decision recently that says the signs only say Taxi, not London Taxi.

It's on here somewhere.

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IDFIMH

Thats exactly how I would see it.

Regards

JD