Camden Council to restrict taxi access on Tottenham Court Road sparking imminent demonstrations

via taxi-point http://bit.ly/2QlGegx

Tottenham Court Road will see new restricted access for cars, lorries and taxis at peak times from March 2019. The busy one-way street will be converted to a two-way system with full 24-hour access only available to buses and cycles. Between 8am and 7pm Monday to Saturday, no other vehicle will be able to use the road much to the dismay of motorists. The changes come as Camden Council plans to invest £35 million to transform the area highlighting the need to improve air quality and road safety. The decision to exclude taxis on the basis of safety and air quality, but not buses, has been met by anger within the industry. The black cab, a public transport vehicle, has been overlooked despite moving to zero emission vehicles and recent concerns over bus safety. Last month Mayor Sadiq Khan said the 6,725 people injured in 12 months by outsourced London bus operators was “chilling”. Every day two people are killed or seriously injured by a London bus. Despite these figures the six bus routes that use Tottenham Court Road will benefit from improved timetabling, allowing up to 114 buses an hour to use the street during peak times. Cabbies who use Tottenham Court Road will face a £130 fine if they pass through the restrictions. Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licenced Taxi Drivers’ Association, said “The major arteries of London are just that, they are the main method of London’s lifeblood moving around.” Camden Council’s Adam Harrison disagreed by saying “not having taxis in the daytime will lead to 25 percent less traffic, with all the benefits for air quality and congestion that go along with it”. The move to ban taxis has quickly sparked action amongst cabbies with demos planned to start 21st January and then each day after until access is assured.

January 04, 2019 at 08:01PM http://bit.ly/2UVulRY Perry Richardson THESE POSTS ARE NOT OUR ENDORSEMENT