Taxi Driver Online

Let us use bus lanes, say town cab drivers

PRIVATE hire vehicles could soon be permanently allowed to use bus lanes in Northampton at night, to allow people to get home more quickly after an evening out. Since December 2005, Northamptonshire County Council has allowed the vehicles access to St Giles Square and Sheep Street between 11pm and 5am as a pilot to see if the scheme worked. The council will make a decision in the next few weeks on whether to make the scheme permanent.

Secretary of the Private Hire Association, Martin Kean, said drivers wanted it to continue, but with round-the-clock access to the routes rather than just between the stipulated times. "It will always help the trade," he said. "If you pick up someone from the Black Bottom Club in George Row, from there you can exit the town through Sheep Street or the cut-through where The Old Bank pub is.

"We are not allowed to use that during the day, but in the evenings we can which makes it quicker to get out. We don't have to go down Gold Street or past the Mayorhold car park, which makes the fare cheaper. "It's an improvement to the trade and for customers, because they don't get charged as much. "Hackney carriages can use it; why should they be able to and private hire can't?"

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: "The aim of the project was to enable private hire vehicles to leave the town centre more quickly and directly during peak hours and at times when anti-social behaviour tends to occur. "The has resulted in the turnaround times of the vehicles being increased and revellers spending less time having to wait. "The pilot project ends in June and we will be making a decision in the next few weeks about whether to make the project permanent or end it."

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IDFIMH

Please explain to me why this should make you so cross Sussex

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Our safety is Paramount

If HC and PH are going to be seriously considered as part of an integrated public transport system then both should have access to bus lanes at all times of the day.

We have, in Common Sense Country.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Licensed drivers not being given 100% access to the same roads as the buses.

And what makes me even more cross is when the access is only given to one side of the trade.

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IDFIMH

IDFIMH
Pardon my ignorance but what does Mr Sussex mean by the above letters after his messages.

If I told you I would have to kill you.

And if I did tell you but didn't kill you, you would have wished you hadn't asked.

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IDFIMH

boys and their toys, if it makes you happy then that is all that matters[/quote]

Here in Southport we have a road which has a lane only for buses, taxis and bikes and us private hire are allowed to use it (sefton council made the decision), it still doesn't stop joe public from travelling down them.

We also have a road that is two way but only buses, taxis (including private hire) and bikes are allowed to travel one way and still joe public misuse the road.

Here in Southport we have a road which has a lane only for buses, taxis and bikes and us private hire are allowed to use it (sefton council made the decision), it still doesn't stop joe public from travelling down them.

We also have a road that is two way but only buses, taxis (including private hire) and bikes are allowed to travel one way and still joe public misuse the road.

The decision for private hire to be included in bus lanes was supported by the Sefton hackney trade, but unfortunatel it has proved to be confusing as far as the general public are concerned. fact not fiction

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

I don't see how it can be confusing for the general public as the lane is clearly marked for buses, taxis and bikes, as is the road that only buses, taxis and bikes are allowed to travel down.

It seems to work well enough as far as bus lanes are concerned,but restricted streets are ignored, the same thing happens at the New Strand and they have just spent 10,000 pounds on new signs, it just does not work,

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

i use bus lanes all the time conveniant in trafic. luke