Friday, 23 August 2013

Ranks Update: 22 August 2013

Below is the latest taxi ranks update to help keep you informed. Follow the links provided for more information.

News

NewFetter Lane

Between Holborn Circus and Bartlett Court will be closed from 7pm on the 23 August until 5am 27 August.

Kenwood House – Live by the Lake concerts

A taxi rank has been appointed to serve Kenwood House during the Live by the Lake concerts taking place in August and September. The taxi rank is on the northern side of Hampstead Lane, just to the west of Compton Avenue. The rank is in Haringey but has been designated as an island rank for Barnet drivers too.

The dates of the concerts and the time when the rank becomes operational are as follows:

- Friday 23 August, 22:00

- Saturday 24 August, 22:00

- Sunday 25 August, 21:30

- Friday 30 August, 22:00

- Saturday 31 August, 22:00

- Sunday 1 September, 19:30

The rank will be marshalled for the first weekend and monitored to see how well it works and is used by drivers.

Tobacco Dock, 4 September 2013

On Wednesday 4 September a large corporate event is taking place at Tobacco Dock, 50 Porters Walk, London, E1W 2SF. Approximately 3,000 people will be attending and there is expected to be a high demand for taxis.

A temporary taxi rank has been set up for the event and this will be in the Tobacco Dock car park on level 6, access is via Pennington Street.

The event finishes at 23:00 but people are expected to start leaving before this and the rank will be marshalled by professional taxi marshals from 20:00.

North Greenwich Station taxi rank relocation

The essential works are still ongoing at North Greenwich Station and the temporary taxi rank is still in operation.

The temporary taxi rank is in the area used by taxis during the 2012 Games, which is normally used as the private hire pick-up area after events.

Tour of Britain – Sunday 22 September 2013

On Sunday 22 September 2013 the final stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race takes place in London. The race route goes along Tower Hill, Lower Thames Street, Upper Thames Street, Victoria Embankment and around Whitehall.

The first race is scheduled to start at 10:00 and the final race is scheduled to end at 17:30.

More information about stage 8 of the event is available here and attached is a map showing the route.

ITU World Triathlon Grand Final – Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 September 2013

Between Wednesday 11 September and Sunday 15 September 2013 the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final takes place. The event takes place in central London and there will be some road closures in place, these are as follows:

Wednesday 11 – 13 September 2013

- From Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 September the roads in Hyde Park will be closed to traffic. This will include South Carriage Drive, West Carriage Drive and North Carriage Drive.

Saturday 14 September

- Roads in Hyde Park will remain closed throughout the day

In addition the following roads will be closed:

- Hyde Park Corner: (underpass Knightsbridge/Piccadilly stays open) 06:30 – 11:30

- Park Lane from Marble Arch towards Hyde Park Corner: 06:30 – 11:30

- Constitution Hill, Link Road, Spur Road: 05:00 – 12:00

- Birdcage Walk, Great George Street: 05:00 – 12:00

- The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Marlborough Road: From 05:00

Road Closures Sunday 15 September

- Roads in Hyde Park will remain closed throughout the day

In addition the following roads will be closed:

- Hyde Park Corner: 05:30 – 16:00

- Park Lane from Marble Arch towards Hyde Park Corner 05:30 – 16:00

- Constitution Hill, Link Road, Spur Road: 04:00 – 17:00

- Birdcage Walk, Great George Street: 04:00 – 17:00

- Whitehall Place: 05:00 – 13:00

- Northumberland Avenue, Victoria Embankment: 05:00 – 13:00

- Southwark Bridge: 06:00 – 12:30

- Lower & Upper Thames to Tower Hill: 06:00 – 12:30

- Parliament Square (single lane closure between Great George St and Whitehall): 06:30 – 13:00

- The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Marlborough Road: 00:00 – 21:00

- Whitehall, Parliament Street: 06:30 – 13:00

Roads adjoining the closed route will have restricted access for local residents and businesses.

More information about the event can be found on the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final website.

Marylebone Station

There are ongoing works in Harewood Avenue resulting in the northbound lane being closed between Hayes Place and Harewood Row but the southbound lane is still open and the taxi rank is still working as normal.

Hornchurch

We’ve received reports of taxis being left unattended on the taxi rank outside Costa Coffee in Hornchurch. This taxi rank operates 24 hours a day and taxis must not be left unattended on it, as ultimately this risks the rank being reviewed and if it is not used as a ‘working’ rank then potentially being revoked.

Bishopsgate works

Essential carriageway and utility works are being carried out in the Bishopsgate area on the Bank Holiday weekend and also on the following weekend.

From Saturday 24 August until Monday 26 August 2013 Bishopsgate will be closed northbound and there are essential works taking place at the junction with Liverpool Street. This will result in the Liverpool Street taxi rank not being accessible this weekend but the rank inside the station will still be available.

Between Saturday 31 August and Sunday 01 September 2013 there will also be a northbound closure of Bishopsgate but the Liverpool Street taxi rank should be accessible from Bishopsgate.

Although these works will cause some disruption they are being carried out at the weekend to try and minimise the disruption caused to road users, including taxi drivers. The works are essential and involve repairing parts of the carriageway and urgent utility repair works.

Bressenden Place – taxi drop offs

Please don’t forget that if you are dropping off passengers for Eland House, Portland House or other buildings in the area please do not stop next to or just in front of the lorry holding area on Bressenden Place.

A dedicated taxi drop-off space has been provided on Bressenden Place, before the lorry holding area.

Works at Palestra

Between mid-July to October 2013 there will be works around Palestra with these starting on the side of the building facing Blackfriars Road, meaning that the nearside southbound traffic lane will be suspended for about three weeks.

From early August to early September work will be carried out on the Union Street side of the building and Union Street will operate eastbound only between Blackfriars Road and Nelson Square. Signage at the Great Suffolk Junction will advise westbound vehicles that entry into Union Street is for access to Nelson Square only, with other westbound traffic diverted north along Great Suffolk Street and via Southwark Street and Blackfriars Road. A contra-flow cycle lane will operate westbound on Union Street, with a barrier to segregate this from the main eastbound traffic. The attached map shows the diversion route.

Union Street will be returned to two-way operation as soon as possible and the remaining works, on Gambia Street and on the north side of the building, will be carried out in September and early October.

Monday, 19 August 2013

Ranks Update, 19th August 2013.

Grosvenor Gardens Taxi Shelter.

From Monday 5 August 2013 there will be some changes to the Grosvenor Gardens refreshment shelter rank.

The new rank will be in three portions and the details are below:

The following rules regarding the refreshment shelter rank apply:

a. Only drivers using the refreshment shelter can park their taxi on the refreshment rank

b. Drivers can park their taxis on the rank for a maximum of 45 minutes

Regent Street by Heddon Street.

A new rank for 6 Taxis has been appointed for Regent Street by the entrance to Heddon Street. It is hoped that this will stop the touting and illegal plying for hire seen at this location, Earlier this year 2 touts were convicted of raping a young lady picked up from this area.

Marylebone Station Taxi Rank Feed.

For the next six months, the Taxi rank feed for Marylebone Station in Harewood Avenue will only be accessable southbound from Rossmore Road. From 19th August, Harewood Avenue will be closed northbound but the taxi rank and feed will still remain operational.

Thursday, 15 August 2013

Every single London Tube ticket office could be axed in plan to save millions

London Underground management have sewn further anger and disgust amongst staff as they effectively confirm that plans for cuts are not only real but are already being put into action. Their statement, far from "clarifying" matters, in a mixture of management jargon and avoidance of the real issues, de facto confirms that the axing of jobs and ticket offices is core to the LU management programme.

All 268 Tube ticket offices could be closed under plans to save millions of pounds.

Ticket offices to be replaced by 20 plus “travel centres” at the larger mainline stations such as Waterloo, Euston and King’s Cross.

Passengers at other Tube or London Overground stations would have to use automatic machines instead.

Transport for London refused to confirm or deny the move saying various proposals were being discussed and staff “would be told first”.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

"If London Underground were seeking to calm the waves of anger that have been unleashed by the leaking of the cuts plans through issuing this memo than I can tell them that they have achieved the exact opposite.

"By failing to address any of the key issues, and throwing up a series of smokescreens and patronising statements, they are confirming that not only are the cuts to staff and closure of ticket offices the real deal but they are already being rolled out.

"RMT wants the Mayor out in the open on this one, Boris Johnson cannot hide behind his senior transport officials while the butchering of jobs and services that he pledged to defend is being cooked up behind closed doors.

"RMT is already balloting over the axing of the guards on London Overground which is the first part of this cuts plan and be in no doubt we will extend the balloting franchise right across London to stop this brutal £2 billion of cuts to London's transport budgets."

Sunday, 11 August 2013

A Blast From The Past The May Interest Those With Older Taxis.

PCO Notice 16/03

Taxis converted to LPG or re-engined to Euro 3 emission standard

The emission strategy for taxis in London is not expected to be finalised until the Energy Saving Trust (EST) has established from technology providers the availability and cost of the various options for achieving reductions in emissions on behalf of the PCO, DfT and the Mayor’s Office. Additionally, following the conclusion of the formal consultation process, discussions continue with representative organisations within the taxi trade as to the potential impact of the current proposals.

It would clearly be counterproductive to the Mayor’s air quality strategy were the delay in finalising the details to have the effect of deterring proprietors from taking advantage of existing technical options and EST funding to improve the emissions from their vehicles.

The PCO wishes to make it clear that, in the event of the emissions proposals imposing an age limit on licensed taxis, those vehicles that have been converted to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or re-engined to Euro III standard or better prior to 31 March 2004 will be permitted to remain in service until the vehicles concerned are at least 20 years old. The position regarding vehicles converted after 31 March 2004 will be made clear as part of the final emissions strategy.

Roy Ellis

5 August 2003 Head of the Public Carriage Office

Ex-minister Tim Yeo accused of harming public's health with new 'green' London taxis which pump out harmful fumes

Mercedes Vitos have been hailed as eco-friendly replacement for black cabs

But they emit much higher levels of nitrogen dioxide, which affects lung function and causes respiratory problems

Former Environment Minister was on the board of firm which supplies them

By Sanchez Manning (Mail on Sunday)

Former Environment Minister Tim Yeo championed the greener taxi which replaced the ageing black cabs in a bid to clean up the environment

Eco-taxis championed by former Environment Minister Tim Yeo pump out more harmful nitrogen dioxide than the ageing black cabs they replaced.

The six-seater Mercedes-Benz Vitos were hailed as a greener alternative to London’s famous LTI cabs, long derided for being among the capital’s biggest polluters.

Mercedes has gained a strong foothold in the taxi market since the beginning of last year when London Mayor Boris Johnson ordered that all black cabs over 15 years old – a total of 3,000 LTI vehicles – had to be taken off the road.

The Vitos are marketed as a greener alternative and have been shown to emit less carbon dioxide.

But a report released last month by the Department for the Environment revealed that they are actually emitting much higher levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) than taxis built before 2005.

It adds: ‘Given the intensity of taxi operations in the centre of London, the increase in levels of NO2 emissions from the newer taxi fleet is a matter of concern.’

NO2 can decrease lung function and increase the risk of respiratory problems, particularly among children.

Until last year, Mr Yeo was on the board of directors of Eco City Vehicles (ECV) – the firm which supplied the London Vitos.

The MP for South Suffolk received a fee of £40,000 per year and £750,000 in share options as the company’s chairman between 2007 and 2012.

And he highlighted the success of ECV when it received its first order for the Mercedes-Benz Vito model from one of London’s largest licensed black cab operators, Computer Cab PLC.

Speaking at ECV’s annual meeting in July 2011, Mr Yeo said: ‘This is the first ever contract placed by ComCab with ECV and represents a significant breakthrough for the Vito.’

Last night, Mick Small, from the RMT transport union, which campaigned against the introduction of the black cab age limit, criticised Mr Yeo and Mr Johnson.

The six-seater Mercedes Black Taxi was hailed as a greener alternative to the traditional black cabs

Mr Small said: ‘The person who had most to gain from these new taxis was Tim Yeo – he had his fingers in Eco City Vehicles.

‘Thousands of cabs had to come off the road and as a result hundreds of taxi drivers were laid off.

And Boris comes out of this as a liar because he said he was going to clean up London’s air quality and now it seems that hasn’t happened.’

Jenny Jones, London Assembly member for the Green Party, blamed the Government for the ‘unacceptable’ levels of NO2 being emitted.

In June this year Mr Yeo stepped down as chairman of the influential Energy and Climate Change Committee over claims he abused his position to help a private company.

He denied the allegations but stepped aside to ensure the ‘smooth running’ of the committee.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson defended the decision to take older cabs off the road. He added: ‘The Mayor remains determined to reduce all emissions from taxis.’

Mr Yeo said: ‘My financial interest in ECV has been correctly disclosed in the Register of Members’ Interests at all times.’

More...

Former minister Tim Yeo caught on camera allegedly boasting that he could help private company influence Parliament

Saturday, 10 August 2013

UPDATE: Re: Save Our Royal Mail Petition:

The campaign to Save Our Royal Mail continues to gain momentum.

Over 112,00 of you have already

signed my petition.

The coming months are crucial, with the Government finalising their plans

to sell off this cherished British institution.

Next month my petition will be presented to No.10 Downing Street.

Please share this petition with your friends, work colleagues and family:

www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/vince-cable-save-our-royal-mail

The majority of the British public oppose the sale of Royal Mail and it’s time to be heard.

You can keep up to date with the campaign onFacebook and Twitter.

Thank you for your continued support.

Darren

Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Taxi and private hire vehicle statistics: England and Wales 2013 Press Release 6th August 2013.

Background information and Clickable Links

Users and uses of these statistics

These statistics are used within DfT to inform the development and monitoring of policy relating to taxis (for example regarding wheelchair accessible vehicles and quantity controls on taxis), and for occasional ministerial briefing or to answer public enquiries. Outside DfT the statistics are perceived to be of interest to various industry bodies and provide information for licensing authorities to compare themselves to other areas. Figures were also used by the Law Commission as background to their recent review of taxi licensing policy1.

Strengths and weaknesses of the data

These statistics are collected through a survey of the 316 licensing authorities in England and Wales (lower tier local authorities, and TfL for London). A copy of the survey questionnaire can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/transport-statistics-notes-and-guidance-taxis

In 2013, full or partial responses were received from 97 per cent of areas, covering nearly 99 per cent of licensed vehicles. Where a figure was not provided, this was imputed by carrying forward a figure from the authority’s latest response to previous surveys. This means that the national estimates involve very little imputation. Data returns are validated by comparing to previous figures and querying cases where there has been a particularly big change. This can result in revisions to previous years figures, though these are typically minor.

In a few cases, authorities report that figures are estimated, or relate to time points other than 31 March. Although these factors are unlikely to impact on the national and regional level figures to any great degree, changes in the data systems used by licensing authorities to store and extract the information can result in fluctuations in the quality of data over time. This is unlikely to be systematic and it is difficult to assess the impact with any precision, however sensitivity analysis suggests changes of +/- 1% in the national figures should be interpreted with caution.

Among individual data items the number of wheelchair accessible taxis and particularly PHVs are most affected by unavailability of information. National figures for wheelchair accessible PHVs are estimated from the information available and considerably less robust than the other statistics presented in this release.

National Statistics

National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure they meet customer needs: www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html

For details of ministers and officials who receive pre-release access to these statistics up to 24 hours before release: https://www.gov.uk/transport-statistics-notes-and-guidance-taxis

Next Release

Following feedback from local authority representatives, we intend to collect and publish Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle statistics on an ad-hoc basis in future. The date of the next release will be announced through the DfT publications schedule at least one month before publication, but is unlikely to be before summer 2015.

We welcome user feedback on the frequency of future publications or any other aspect of these statistics. This can be provided by email to bus.statistics@dft.gsi.gov.uk

1 For further details see: http://lawcommission.justice.gov.uk/areas/taxi-and-private-hire-services.htm

Series

Taxi statistics

This series brings together all documents relating to Taxi statistics

DfT taxi statistics provide information on the number of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in England and Wales, including the number designed to be accessible for disabled people. Data are derived from the Department’s survey of licensing authorities in England and Wales, which takes place every two years. The last survey was carried out in 2013.

Planned changes to data collection after 2013. Currently, the Department publishes statistics on taxis every two years. We intend to move to collecting the information less frequently in future, when it is needed, and therefore will no longer publish these statistics on a regular basis. If you have any feedback on this change please let us know by email to bus.statistics@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Latest taxi statistics

There were an estimated 78 thousand taxis and 153 thousand licensed private hire vehicles (PHVs) in England and Wales at end March 2013, a total of 231 thousand vehicles.

An estimated 58% of licensed taxis are wheelchair accessible – this is 100% in London.

Overall, there were 297 thousand taxi or PHV driver licenses in England and Wales at end March 2013.

See notes and guidance, the pre-release access list and technical information