Addison lee told to use bus lanes!

[BentMikey]

Jeez, we're going to get a lot of tailgating and beeping, I think.

 

[gaz]

TFL have stated the following
Addison Lee drivers warned not to drive in London's bus lanes or face criminal prosecution

 

[musa]

TFL have stated the following
Addison Lee drivers warned not to drive in London's bus lanes or face criminal prosecution

That cleared it all, best have your camera ready Gaz

There are around 24,000 licenced taxis in London and over 60,000 licenced PHVs. Licenced taxis are allowed in many bus lanes. Taxis can legally ply for hire on the street, often picking up passengers from pavements by bus lanes. By contrast, PHVs are not allowed to ply for hire on the street. Allowing 60,000 additional vehicles into bus lanes would have a negative impact on bus journey times, potentially creating delays for millions of passengers.

 

[Adasta]

Wonder how long it'll be before they let cars in the bus lane.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

So until this has been test cased in the courts are we going to see lots of altercations between Hackney Cabs and Addison Lee? Any black cab driver without a fare is simply going to block any AL in the bus lane, wouldn't they?

 

[gb155]

So until this has been test cased in the courts are we going to see lots of altercations between Hackney Cabs and Addison Lee? Any black cab driver without a fare is simply going to block any AL in the bus lane, wouldn't they?

HC vs PH happens all the time, its a tribal war

 

[spen666]

so, AL are encouraging their drivers to "break the law" - indeed even offering to indemnify them against the penalties imposed?

1. Are AL a fit and proper company to hold a private hire operators licence in the circumstances?
2. If using bus lane is a non endorsable offence, then why not instead charge with driving without due consideration for other road users (aka careless driving) when AL vehicles use bus lane. This is endorsable. No indemnity from AL can cover the points on licence.

 

[gaz]

I go into detail about why Addison Lee isn't allowed to use the bus lanes here > http://www.croydoncyclist.co.uk/addison-lee-vehicles-can-not-use-bus-lanes/

 

[davefb]

Puts the drivers in a bad position, whatever the opinion is of their driving. One assumes the 'base' will put pressure on them to be using buslanes, which is akin to expecting drivers to speed on the basis that addison lee will just pay their fines..
Ridiculous.

 

[dawesome]

London's biggest taxi company and Transport for London (TfL) are on collision course after the company's chairman instructed his 4,000 drivers to defy the law and use bus lanes.
Buses, taxis and motorbikes are the only vehicles allowed to use bus lanes, but John Griffin, the chairman of Addison Lee, has asked for a judicial review of the regulations, which he describes as unlawful.
Griffin wrote to his drivers last week and told them to drive in bus lanes pending the result of the judicial review. "Addison Lee believes that we cannot allow our customers to continue to be victims of this unfair and discriminatory treatment.
"As chairman, I can advise you that a lawful interpretation of the bus lane regulation entitles Addison Lee drivers with private hire identifiers to use all bus lanes in the same way as our competitors. Accordingly, you are fully entitled to use the bus lanes."
TfL hit back on Sunday, threatening to prosecute and withdraw licences from drivers who use bus lanes. "Under current regulations, driving a private hire vehicle (PHV) in a bus lane, during the hours when the bus lane is operative (and other than to pick up and set down passengers) is a criminal offence for which PHV drivers may be personally prosecuted," wrote John Mason, director of taxi and private hire for TfL in a statement.
Griffin told his drivers that he would indemnify them for any fines they might receive for following his instructions. But TfL said that this offered no protection from having their licences revoked.
Mason concluded: "Drivers who repeatedly contravene traffic regulations, including by intentionally driving in Bus Lanes, other than to pick up or set down passengers, may be considered unfit to hold a PHV driver's licence; and operators who encourage such conduct may be considered unfit to hold a PHV operator's licence."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/16/london-cab-firm-drivers-bus-lanes

Didn't Griffin refuse to pay to use Prescott's bus lan?

 

[Flyingfox]

This is a copy of the email sent to all Addison Lee drivers http://theandersonshelter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/email-sent-to-all-addison-lee-drivers.html

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

The bike biz article quotes Griffin as saying AL will indemnify all drivers who get fines, etc, for using bus lanes. I know nothing about the law but this looks like a clear incitement to break the law to me.

 

[dawesome]

Back to all articles
M4 Bus Lane Prosecution Dropped

Oct 10, 2010
Addison Lee, Europe’s largest taxi firm received notice today that over 200 tickets and 130 court summonses against them for driving in the despised M4 bus lane have been dropped.
The CPS contacted Addison Lee after deciding that prosecutions were not in the public interest.

http://www.addisonlee.com/press/read/391

 

[Jezston]

The bike biz article quotes Griffin as saying AL will indemnify all drivers who get fines, etc, for using bus lanes. I know nothing about the law but this looks like a clear incitement to break the law to me.

Quite. Any way we can get a campaign running to threaten Addison Lee's license?

Any London commuters experience any AL bus lane action this morning?

 

[jonny jeez]

As a taxi (Hackney carriage) has a liscense to Ply for hire at the road side, it would be impractical for them to not have access to and across bus lanes. Mincab/private hire are not licensed to ply for hire and so have no business entering or crossing bus lanes.

The only reason they would want to is to save time and increase profits.

They knew the law when they started their business and no matter how big a company you are, you should not expect the law to "change" to suit your business plan.


Unless you are a petro-chemical or arms company of course, in which case, help yourself...murder, extort, occupy, steal...feel free, just don't use the bus lanes..that's the important thing