From the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17722416

My view: why not ban all taxis, Addison Lee and black cabs, from bus
lanes? A very significant cause of delays to buses is taxis stopping
to pick up and (more significantly) drop off in bus lanes.

Neil

Neil Williams wrote:
From the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17722416
My view: why not ban all taxis, Addison Lee and black cabs, from bus
lanes? A very significant cause of delays to buses is taxis stopping
to pick up and (more significantly) drop off in bus lanes.


Neil for Mayor of London! Better than Boris, cannier than Ken. ;-)

You're combining two separate issues. Whether taxis of any kind should be allowed to drive in bus lanes is one issue. (Whether there should be bus lanes at all is another!)

Quite separate is the question of taxis picking up and setting down in bus lanes. I leave you to dictate to the elderly, the sick, the physically disabled and the blind that they are not allowed to be set down or picked up from outside their building and that regardless of the severity of their problems and regardless of the distance involved they must move themselves to a location where there is no bus lane.

What about those poor old halt?

Robin9 wrote:

Quite separate is the question of taxis picking up and setting down in
bus lanes. I leave you to dictate to the elderly, the sick, the
physically disabled and the blind that they are not allowed to be set
down or picked up from outside their building and that regardless of the
severity of their problems and regardless of the distance involved they
must move themselves to a location where there is no bus lane.

As with parking I am quite happy for there to be exceptions for people with
genuine need like that, though as with blue badges I am not sure why they
should not have to consider where is appropriate to avoid causing a serious
obstruction (a blue badge holder is not permitted to park causing danger or
an obstruction, AIUI). OTOH most black cab passengers I see causing such
an obstruction appear to be fully able-bodied, usually lazy businessmen who
think their time is more important than that of all 50 odd passengers on
the bus stuck behind them while they pay their taxi fare.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

On 16/04/2012 18:51, Robin9 wrote:
Neil Williams;129876 Wrote:
From the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17722416

My view: why not ban all taxis, Addison Lee and black cabs, from bus
lanes? A very significant cause of delays to buses is taxis stopping
to pick up and (more significantly) drop off in bus lanes.

Neil

You're combining two separate issues. Whether taxis of any kind should
be allowed to drive in bus lanes is one issue. (Whether there should be
bus lanes at all is another!)

Quite separate is the question of taxis picking up and setting down in
bus lanes. I leave you to dictate to the elderly, the sick, the
physically disabled and the blind that they are not allowed to be set
down or picked up from outside their building and that regardless of the
severity of their problems and regardless of the distance involved they
must move themselves to a location where there is no bus lane.

Why should being elderly make a difference? Don't fall for the trap of
thinking that being 65 (or whatever) means someone must be stupid, poor
and disabled. Most can't even use the "I died in the war for you"
argument any more.

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

On 2012\04\17 19:14, Neil Williams wrote:
wrote:

Quite separate is the question of taxis picking up and setting down in
bus lanes. I leave you to dictate to the elderly, the sick, the
physically disabled and the blind that they are not allowed to be set
down or picked up from outside their building and that regardless of the
severity of their problems and regardless of the distance involved they
must move themselves to a location where there is no bus lane.

As with parking I am quite happy for there to be exceptions for people with
genuine need like that, though as with blue badges I am not sure why they
should not have to consider where is appropriate to avoid causing a serious
obstruction (a blue badge holder is not permitted to park causing danger or
an obstruction, AIUI). OTOH most black cab passengers I see causing such
an obstruction appear to be fully able-bodied, usually lazy businessmen who
think their time is more important than that of all 50 odd passengers on
the bus stuck behind them while they pay their taxi fare.

How often does this happen? Taxis tend to be behind buses, not in front
of them, due to the buses stopping regularly. Taxis can only get in
front of buses by overtaking them, which they can only do if the other
traffic is moving a bit... in which case the bus will have a fair chance
of being able to overtake the stopped taxi.

Basil Jet wrote:

On 2012\04\17 19:14, Neil Williams wrote:
wrote:

Quite separate is the question of taxis picking up and setting down in
bus lanes. I leave you to dictate to the elderly, the sick, the
physically disabled and the blind that they are not allowed to be set
down or picked up from outside their building and that regardless of the
severity of their problems and regardless of the distance involved they
must move themselves to a location where there is no bus lane.

As with parking I am quite happy for there to be exceptions for people with
genuine need like that, though as with blue badges I am not sure why they
should not have to consider where is appropriate to avoid causing a serious
obstruction (a blue badge holder is not permitted to park causing danger or
an obstruction, AIUI). OTOH most black cab passengers I see causing such
an obstruction appear to be fully able-bodied, usually lazy businessmen who
think their time is more important than that of all 50 odd passengers on
the bus stuck behind them while they pay their taxi fare.

How often does this happen? Taxis tend to be behind buses, not in front
of them, due to the buses stopping regularly. Taxis can only get in
front of buses by overtaking them, which they can only do if the other
traffic is moving a bit... in which case the bus will have a fair chance
of being able to overtake the stopped taxi.


I think Neil is trying to impersonate Mr Toad ... or at least how Mr
Toad might behave if he could ever bear to stoop low enough to queue
for a bus. ;-)

"Make way! Make way for Captain Toad of Toad Hall!"

On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 06:14:33PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
Robin9 wrote:
Quite separate is the question of taxis picking up and setting down in
bus lanes. I leave you to dictate to the elderly, the sick, the
physically disabled and the blind that they are not allowed to be set
down or picked up from outside their building and that regardless of the
severity of their problems and regardless of the distance involved they
must move themselves to a location where there is no bus lane.
As with parking I am quite happy for there to be exceptions for people with
genuine need like that

How does a cabbie know that his prospective customer (or indeed his
customer) has a genuine need? You have to remember that not all
mobility impairments are visible.

How, for example, is a cabbie meant to tell that the person standing at
the side of the road and waving at him has recently sprained his ankle
and that walking a few hundred yards to some obscure side street (down
which far fewer cabs will travel while looking for custom, but never
mind that) will be very painful?

though as with blue badges I am not sure why they
should not have to consider where is appropriate to avoid causing a serious
obstruction (a blue badge holder is not permitted to park causing danger or
an obstruction, AIUI). OTOH most black cab passengers I see causing such
an obstruction appear to be fully able-bodied, usually lazy businessmen who
think their time is more important than that of all 50 odd passengers on
the bus stuck behind them while they pay their taxi fare.

When I travel on buses, I see far more delays caused by delivery
vehicles in bus lanes, road works, police in bus lanes, and bus
passengers being idiots and only looking through their cavernous
handbags for their tickets once they're standing next to the oyster
reader - and hence blocking everyone behind them - than by taxis.

--
David Cantrell | Enforcer, South London Linguistic Massive

For every vengeance, there is an equal and opposite revengeance.
-- Cartoon Law X

On 2012\04\18 12:09, David Cantrell wrote:
On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 06:14:33PM +0000, Neil Williams wrote:
wrote:
Quite separate is the question of taxis picking up and setting down in
bus lanes. I leave you to dictate to the elderly, the sick, the
physically disabled and the blind that they are not allowed to be set
down or picked up from outside their building and that regardless of the
severity of their problems and regardless of the distance involved they
must move themselves to a location where there is no bus lane.
As with parking I am quite happy for there to be exceptions for people with
genuine need like that

How does a cabbie know that his prospective customer (or indeed his
customer) has a genuine need? You have to remember that not all
mobility impairments are visible.

How, for example, is a cabbie meant to tell that the person standing at
the side of the road and waving at him has recently sprained his ankle
and that walking a few hundred yards to some obscure side street (down
which far fewer cabs will travel while looking for custom, but never
mind that) will be very painful?

Or that the young fit person jumping up and down waving for the cab is
accompanying the old mobility-impaired person leaning on the nearby wall?