MIG wrote:
Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous and
illegal in any case

How so? What laws are being contravened and by who?

MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous and
illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for it being
illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking of minicabs?

On Feb 3, 4:58*pm, "John Rowland"
wrote:
MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous and
illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for it being
illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking of minicabs?

I believe that minicabs can be hired by telephone or from the office,
while taxis can, in addition, be picked up at an authorised taxi rank.

I'm not aware of any kind of taxi that can legally be hailed in the
street, unless the rules have changed in the last few years.

We all know that people do it, and turning a blind eye to it is all
very well, but changing the rules around bus lanes to accommodate it
is a different matter.

John Rowland wrote:
MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous and
illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for it
being illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking of
minicabs?

I'd query "thinking".

On Sat, 2 Feb 2008, Nuxx Bar wrote:

The Truth About Bikes And Anti-Motorist Lanes:

Mate, if you're going to set up flamewars between urc and urd, could you
leave utl out of it? Cheers.

http://tinyurl.com/36kls5

Interesting study; let's hope it gets published properly, so we can see
what it really says.

tom

--
On two occasions I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray,
Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right
answers come out?' I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of
confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question. -- Charles Babbage

MIG wrote:
On Feb 3, 4:58 pm, "John Rowland"
wrote:
MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous and
illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for
it being illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking
of minicabs?

I believe that minicabs can be hired by telephone or from the office,
while taxis can, in addition, be picked up at an authorised taxi rank.

I'm not aware of any kind of taxi that can legally be hailed in the
street, unless the rules have changed in the last few years.

We all know that people do it, and turning a blind eye to it is all
very well, but changing the rules around bus lanes to accommodate it
is a different matter.

Hackney carriages (taxis) are governed by the TOWN POLICE CLAUSES ACT 1847.
I've found nothing in that to indicate that it's illegal to hail a taxi.

Cambridgeshire County Council have gone so far as to introduce "taxi hailing
points" in certain areas.

http://www2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/db...9?OpenDocument

On Feb 3, 6:06*pm, "Brimstone" wrote:
MIG wrote:
On Feb 3, 4:58 pm, "John Rowland"
wrote:
MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous and
illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for
it being illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking
of minicabs?

I believe that minicabs can be hired by telephone or from the office,
while taxis can, in addition, be picked up at an authorised taxi rank.

I'm not aware of any kind of taxi that can legally be hailed in the
street, unless the rules have changed in the last few years.

We all know that people do it, and turning a blind eye to it is all
very well, but changing the rules around bus lanes to accommodate it
is a different matter.

Hackney carriages (taxis) are governed by the TOWN POLICE CLAUSES ACT 1847..
I've found nothing in that to indicate that it's illegal to hail a taxi.

Cambridgeshire County Council have gone so far as to introduce "taxi hailing
points" in certain areas.

"To give people more choice of where to get a taxi". More choice than
anywhere they like?

The point was whether bus lane rules should make allowances for dodgy
taxi-hailing behaviour.

I am hardly suggesting that punters or taxi drivers should be
prosecuted for hailing and stopping, but I don't see why bus lane
rules should make allowances for it.

I am often put at risk by taxis zooming into the kerb in front of me,
whether there's a bus lane or not.

On Feb 3, 5:51*pm, "Brimstone" wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous and
illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for it
being illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking of
minicabs?

I'd query "thinking".

The current rules seem to go back to 1999, I don't know how they
changed, if they did.

On one hand it seems to be fine to hail a taxi if it isn't dangerous
or causing a nuisance (which it usually is), but on the other hand
drivers can't ply their trade away from a rank. Seems to depend on
whether they are moving.

MIG wrote:
On Feb 3, 6:06 pm, "Brimstone" wrote:
MIG wrote:
On Feb 3, 4:58 pm, "John Rowland"
wrote:
MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous
and illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for
it being illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking
of minicabs?

I believe that minicabs can be hired by telephone or from the
office, while taxis can, in addition, be picked up at an authorised
taxi rank.

I'm not aware of any kind of taxi that can legally be hailed in the
street, unless the rules have changed in the last few years.

We all know that people do it, and turning a blind eye to it is all
very well, but changing the rules around bus lanes to accommodate it
is a different matter.

Hackney carriages (taxis) are governed by the TOWN POLICE CLAUSES
ACT 1847. I've found nothing in that to indicate that it's illegal
to hail a taxi.

Cambridgeshire County Council have gone so far as to introduce "taxi
hailing points" in certain areas.

"To give people more choice of where to get a taxi". More choice than
anywhere they like?

My reading of the article suggested that the point provided a known point
where taxi drivers would be likely to find a fare. I didn't seen anything to
suggest that hailing elsewhere was to be banned.

The point was whether bus lane rules should make allowances for dodgy
taxi-hailing behaviour.

I've never witnessed 2dodgy taxi-hailing behaviour". What form does it take?

I am hardly suggesting that punters or taxi drivers should be
prosecuted for hailing and stopping, but I don't see why bus lane
rules should make allowances for it.

Then how else does the intending passenger get into the taxi, unless you're
suggesting that the taxi sits in the middle of the road and the hailer risks
collision with a bus or cyclist by walking out into the road whilst delaying
other traffic?

I am often put at risk by taxis zooming into the kerb in front of me,
whether there's a bus lane or not.

No one is denying that all concerned should exercise proper care and
consideration for other road users.

MIG wrote:
On Feb 3, 5:51 pm, "Brimstone" wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
MIG wrote:

Hailing taxis and having them dart over to the kerb is dangerous
and illegal in any case, regardless of any bus lanes.

It's not dangerous if the driver doesn't do it dangerously. As for
it being illegal ... what *are* you talking about? Are you thinking
of minicabs?

I'd query "thinking".

The current rules seem to go back to 1999, I don't know how they
changed, if they did.

On one hand it seems to be fine to hail a taxi if it isn't dangerous
or causing a nuisance (which it usually is), but on the other hand
drivers can't ply their trade away from a rank. Seems to depend on
whether they are moving.

Which rules are you quoting?