Why are taxis allowed in bus lanes?

[Vipers]

Nigel Worc's said:

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.

From Aberdeen airport towards town it's a bus/taxi lane. Different councils, different rules.

[CraigyMc]

Your Dad said:

55palfers said:

UK motorists pay a huge amount of tax and should be entitled to use 100% of the available road network.

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

For bus lanes, it's generally the local council (because local roads are looked after and paid for by the local council), so council tax.

For the few bus lanes on trunk routes other than Scotland, those are paid for from central government funds because the highways agency is paid for that way, from general taxation.

[RizzoTheRat]

Taxis, being a business, are presumably paying corporation tax as well as income tax for the driver, VED, fuel duty, VAT etc. That money all comes from their passengers, so if I take a taxi somewhere I'm actually paying more tax than if I took my own car.

[TheFinners]

Lewes Road in Brighton is so busy at peak times now it is 50% bus lane all the way down, lines of cars idling while the odd bus or cab breezes past every couple of mins. Always amusing when the cabbies try to push into the 'normal' lane at the last minute when the bus in front of them stops (they are island stops) and nobody lets them in though

[Vipers]

TheFinners said:

Lewes Road in Brighton is so busy at peak times now it is 50% bus lane all the way down, lines of cars idling while the odd bus or cab breezes past every couple of mins. Always amusing when the cabbies try to push into the 'normal' lane at the last minute when the bus in front of them stops (they are island stops) and nobody lets them in though

Why not let them out, they will pull back in when they pass the bus.

Might be you one day in the cab in a hurry.

[BigLion]

In a fair few cities bus lanes are being phased out...