Why are taxis allowed in bus lanes?

[carl_w]

Your Dad said:

Just remind me, which tax pays for the road network?

Apparently from April it will be the VED http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/docum...

[grumpyscot]

To add to the original question: If taxis are allowed in bus lanes, why are private hire cars (mini cabs) not allowed?

And in Edinburgh, traffic through Holyrood Park does not allow commercial vehicles, yet taxis are exempt but again not private hire cars! And who would sensibly use a taxi anyway (unless the company refunds you the fare) when a taxi to the airport from my home is £45 - £60, but private hire is £25?

[NickCQ]

55palfers said:

b) What about the hundreds of drivers waiting in congested traffic due to 50% of the available road being off-limits?

I think someone answered this above. If there were no bus lanes, there would be no point taking the bus instead of driving, except for the marginal cost benefits and saving hassle parking. Therefore, you need bus lanes to encourage some people to switch over.

Also, I reckon buses stopping and starting every 50 metres without a reserved lane would take away almost as much road capacity anyway, causing cars to constantly change lanes to get past them.

[anonymous-user]

Your Dad said:

FTFY

So it's not also covered by income tax and council tax then, which would cover contributions made by non-car owning people who are effectively paying for roads they don't drive on?

Wow this really might be my dad, he's a proper obtuse pedantic wker. I didn't know you were on here dad!

[Six Fiend]

grumpyscot said:

To add to the original question: If taxis are allowed in bus lanes, why are private hire cars (mini cabs) not allowed?

They are here, in Bristol, along with motorcycles too. Been like it for many moons

[CoolHands]

It's to encourage their use to dissuade some people from driving cars, thus improving congestion. I.e. If one taxi takes 20 trips in one day that would otherwise all have come in their own cars, then it obviously means less congestion. They are seen as part of an intergrated transport plan, I suppose is the official theory.

[DoubleD]

dme123 said:

Your Dad said:

FTFY

So it's not also covered by income tax and council tax then, which would cover contributions made by non-car owning people who are effectively paying for roads they don't drive on?

Wow this really might be my dad, he's a proper obtuse pedantic wker. I didn't know you were on here dad!

I think ive met your dad. Bit of a sad case who doesnt mix well in social circles?

[rossub]

There's a woman at work whose husband is a taxi driver. Guess who gives her a lift in the morning down the bus lane while I have to sit in the queue of traffic.

Boils my piss!

[novus]

rossub said:

There's a woman at work whose husband is a taxi driver. Guess who gives her a lift in the morning down the bus lane while I have to sit in the queue of traffic.

Boils my piss!

Bus driver ?

[anonymous-user]

Jasandjules said:

Your Dad said:

Just remind me, which tax pays for the road network?

It is not ring fenced. But fuel duty, insurance tax, road tax are paid for by motorists are they not?

and OP, my guess was taxis like bus companies, must pay something towards MPs etc to get these things...

Your making out like taxi's arnt motorists?

[CaptainMorgan]

I've wondered similar in the past. The main (only?) reason I can see is the point made earlier, if a cab runs xx number of people into town, thats xx number of cars not parking somewhere in town.

[SteveSteveson]

CoolHands said:

It's to encourage their use to dissuade some people from driving cars, thus improving congestion. I.e. If one taxi takes 20 trips in one day that would otherwise all have come in their own cars, then it obviously means less congestion. They are seen as part of an intergrated transport plan, I suppose is the official theory.

How does it mean less congestion though? Surely taxies cause twice as much congestion and at least twice as much pollution. They have to drive to pick someone up then to take them to where they want to go, plus the sitting with the engine on (yes, sometimes taxis will have a pickup close to their drop of, but the point is they still use more than driving). The only advantage is that they save on parking (ignoring how much chaos taxi drivers cause stopping with fk all though for other road users, like the one blocking the exit to my car park at work at 5pm today who got stty when people wanted him to move).

I guess the answer is a powerful lobby and taxi license money the councils get. I can't think of any objective reason. It just seems like a way for people to pay to access the bus lane. It makes it even more galling that motorbikes are not allowed to use the bus lane most places.

[Mandat]

SteveSteveson said:

CoolHands said:

It's to encourage their use to dissuade some people from driving cars, thus improving congestion. I.e. If one taxi takes 20 trips in one day that would otherwise all have come in their own cars, then it obviously means less congestion. They are seen as part of an intergrated transport plan, I suppose is the official theory.

How does it mean less congestion though?

Err, as per above, one taxi might make 20 trips in a day, therefore potentially removing 20 individual car journeys from the roads.

Ergo; less congestion than there otherwise might have been.

[DoubleD]

Mandat said:

SteveSteveson said:

CoolHands said:

It's to encourage their use to dissuade some people from driving cars, thus improving congestion. I.e. If one taxi takes 20 trips in one day that would otherwise all have come in their own cars, then it obviously means less congestion. They are seen as part of an intergrated transport plan, I suppose is the official theory.

How does it mean less congestion though?

Err, as per above, one taxi might make 20 trips in a day, therefore potentially removing 20 individual car journeys from the roads.

Ergo; less congestion than there otherwise might have been.

But surely the taxi is on the road for just as long as the 20 cars as it drives around doing those 20 trips?

[spyder dryver]

frisbee said:

Your Dad said:

Hang on!

I've just realised that cyclists can use bus lanes, and they don't even pay tax or have insurance.

What about if a cyclist takes his bike in a taxi? And if they were a bus driver as well maybe?

Hang on! I've just realised that electric cars and electric bikes can use bus lanes, they don't pay tax either! Except maybe income tax, VAT, IPT,Council tax etc.

And what about if a bus driver takes his electric bike in an electric taxi on a bus lane?
Is this like dividing by zero? Will the world end?

[otolith]

Mandat said:

SteveSteveson said:

CoolHands said:

It's to encourage their use to dissuade some people from driving cars, thus improving congestion. I.e. If one taxi takes 20 trips in one day that would otherwise all have come in their own cars, then it obviously means less congestion. They are seen as part of an intergrated transport plan, I suppose is the official theory.

How does it mean less congestion though?

Err, as per above, one taxi might make 20 trips in a day, therefore potentially removing 20 individual car journeys from the roads.

Ergo; less congestion than there otherwise might have been.

[CoolHands]

They drive backwards to reduce wear on the roads

[Mr Snrub]

DoubleD said:

Mandat said:

SteveSteveson said:

CoolHands said:

It's to encourage their use to dissuade some people from driving cars, thus improving congestion. I.e. If one taxi takes 20 trips in one day that would otherwise all have come in their own cars, then it obviously means less congestion. They are seen as part of an intergrated transport plan, I suppose is the official theory.

How does it mean less congestion though?

Err, as per above, one taxi might make 20 trips in a day, therefore potentially removing 20 individual car journeys from the roads.

Ergo; less congestion than there otherwise might have been.

But surely the taxi is on the road for just as long as the 20 cars as it drives around doing those 20 trips?

And every other vehicle is robbed of 50% of the available road space, increasing pollution and congestion

[Blakewater]

Mandat said:

SteveSteveson said:

CoolHands said:

It's to encourage their use to dissuade some people from driving cars, thus improving congestion. I.e. If one taxi takes 20 trips in one day that would otherwise all have come in their own cars, then it obviously means less congestion. They are seen as part of an intergrated transport plan, I suppose is the official theory.

How does it mean less congestion though?

Err, as per above, one taxi might make 20 trips in a day, therefore potentially removing 20 individual car journeys from the roads.

Ergo; less congestion than there otherwise might have been.

If I drive my car from home to work and back that's two journeys. If I call a taxi it has to come to my house from it's last drop off point or its depot, take me to work and then go back to its depot if it doesn't have another job immediately after. At the end of the day it'll go from its depot or last job to my place of work, work to home and then back to its depot or next job again.

That's two to four extra car journeys as the taxi drives around with no passengers that wouldn't be taking place if I was using my car.

[Nigel Worc's]

Taxis aren't allowed to use bus lanes here.

I guess it is because bus lanes are for buses, they aren't public transport lanes.

In some areas they just appear to be anti car lanes.