Westminster Escalate Hostilities Against the Taxi Trade...by Thomas the Taxi

After their initial assault on the licensed taxi trade with the inception of the first private hire rank in Whitcomb Street, Westminster City Council has decided to escalate the hostilities by banishing the word taxi from many of their bus lanes signs.

First we noticed the sign had been changed in Victoria Street, junction with Buckingham Palace Road, where the central bus lane now displays a newly erected sign that excludes taxis. As you go over the lights the word taxi is then visible on the sign at the beginning of the bus lane that runs along Grosvenor Gardens. Taxis have been allowed to use this lane for many years as it was felt necessary for the safety of the public and the driver when picking up from the tube entrance not to have to cross the bus lane, when wishing to go north. Now the right has been taken away, or has it?

Now we see a ridiculously laid out, purpose built bottle neck, at the junction of Charring Cross Road and Shaftsbury Avenue. Running from just passed Dean Street, the brand new bus lane excludes all traffic except bus and bike. As the traffic in the outside lane will also be turning right in to Charring Cross road, the tail back at this junction in busy times of the day, has become horrendous. This means taxis have to wait caught in this jam, with the meter running and cause's unnecessary expense to the unsuspecting passengers. Westminster obviously does not seem to understand, the reason why taxis were first granted the right to use bus lanes is, that we are in fact a metered service. The same reason why private hire vehicles, are not and should not, be allowed to use the lanes.

More and more square footage of the public highway is being denied to the licensed taxi trade every year, with Westminster being the worst offender. Bus lanes, environmental areas and thick red lined bus stops are making our job a headache. With more and more things we have to worry about we seem to be losing the right to just go about our daily work.

The Anderson shelter has written to Westminster Council and to the Mayor to find out if in fact they have a traffic order from the secretary of state for transport that details these changes, or has the wrong signage been erected.

We also ask if they will be prosecuting taxi drivers who as yet have not noticed this important change to their rightful passage through the borough.