As PCN's Start Dropping Through Letter Boxes, TPH Agree Signs Are NOT Clear!

The Anderson Shelter has received this email from Nicole Harris at the Carriage Office. Ms Harris has recently taken over from Robin Gillis .

"I am aware of the situation with the recent closure to taxis of Old Broad Street.

This is so that Crossrail vehicles can use the road and the impact on traffic is minimal (as there is a bus garage at the top of the road and Crossrail were worried that with increasing vehicle movements it would become very congested)".

"One issue is that the current signage is not very clear and Darren and I had a site visit with TfL project managers for Crossrail last week to discuss this. Going forward, the signage should be clearer and there should be more of it on the street"."Regarding the overall issue of the road being closed to taxis I do have some sympathy with the trade on this one. At present I have expressed to Jason Clark, project manager for Crossrail, that it is difficult to justify this closure to the trade since there does not in fact seem to be much activity in the road with Crossrail traffic. Jason has assured me that in September there will be a lot more activity and that in hindsight perhaps the decision to begin the closure in August was slightly premature. I have also tried to reverse the decision so that taxis can drop off in the road, but as yet to no avail. I am told that come September the Crossrail traffic will be so busy in that area that it will become difficult to sustain access for taxis. I have accepted this for the moment but do feel that it is something that remains to be seen".

"I will forward the article to Jason and re-assert my feeling that, at least for now, taxis should be allowed to access Old Broad Street".

"I will also send an email to Jon Wallace from the City regarding this. He is aware of the closure of Old Broad Street and responded to questions about this in the previous cab ranks committee that he attended. Jon also informed the committee that they would start issuing PCN's to all vehicles entering this road from this week (off the top of my head it was this week or last week). However, I will send an email to Jon to ask for the City's comments on this.
Kind Regards"
Nicole Harris.

In a recent issue of the Taxi paper Richard Masset said

"The problem at present is that there does not appear to be any reason why the street has been closed".

Richard Masset

Well Dicky if you had bothered to turn up at the Cab Ranks Committee meeting and represented your members like you are paid to do, you would have been given an explanation. Failing that you could have emailed Jason Clark or Jon Wallace or is that beyond your remit Dicky.

Again we see the LTDA let their members down. A once proud org that would defend the rights of working Taxi Drivers, now reduced to a shadow of its former self, run by a tired old man with no stomach for a fight, who should have retired years ago.