Taxi Drivers

[chameleon]

tyke bhoy wrote: LCC have found an answer for the New Station Street queues, NOT! They have removed the traffic lights/pedestrian crossing at the junction of Boar Lane and the Mill Hill dogleg. This means that the traffic island with the light for the right hand filter from Boar lane eastbound into Mill Hill could also be removed. This was done within the last couple of weeks and made it something of a free for all within traffic priorities.within the last couple of days they have inserted a zebra crossing (no lights so not a pelican, toucan or any other light control) at the top of the Mill Hill dog leg. Now given from about 6.30 in the morning to late at night it is unlikely there isn't a pedestrian waiting to cross there and the highway code says if there is a pedestrian waiting to cross then traffic must give way in theory very little traffic should be able to turn into Mill Hill When will they install the belishas? Do I not recall that the legal definition of such a crossing includes the existence of beacons and thus without them it is not deemed to be a zebra crossing at all? If this is still so, there would be no requirement for traffic to give way to pedestrians - and certainly an arguable defence for any driver charged with failing to do so! There's some 'logic in the thinking' to add to your very apt thoughts!I saw the parking lane (queing traffic) for the first time the other week - I alwasy thought such queues were moved on; unterestingly a couple of busses were caught-up in the queue too, isn't the aim of all that to encourage the use of and aid the free flowing of public transport? It almost makes accessing the Station by PT as farcical as by car

[tyke bhoy]

Not sure on that Chameleon, you may be correct. However the definition of crossings is getting vague. My wife was told last week she shouldn't have parked partly on a red brick road hump/sleeping policeman that straddles the entire road outside a school by the school crossing patrol operative( is that the correct pc term these days?). She was not on zig zags or yellow lines of any nature and was told on leaving more than 10 minutes before school was out that she was on an official school crossing. Had she been on the zig zags that are on the other side of the road she would still have been 5 minutes clear of their operating period

[chameleon]

tyke bhoy wrote: Not sure on that Chameleon, you may be correct. However the definition of crossings is getting vague. My wife was told last week she shouldn't have parked partly on a red brick road hump/sleeping policeman that straddles the entire road outside a school by the school crossing patrol operative( is that the correct pc term these days?). She was not on zig zags or yellow lines of any nature and was told on leaving more than 10 minutes before school was out that she was on an official school crossing. Had she been on the zig zags that are on the other side of the road she would still have been 5 minutes clear of their operating period I haven't looked in the revamped editon of the Highway Code (yes, there is one, updated and in many cases makes matters rather less definative than before) but, the old version certainly did say that about crossings.There was also a rider in the preference that indicated that whilst the Code itself was not Law, its provisions 'could be relied upon by any party in legal proceedings', something which I sucessfully used in a case against another driver. Our Mr Jones may have some input here perhaps!I do remember when humps and bumps came about, reading that you shouldn't park on them, though I doubt people were aware of that. I'm prety sure too that it was stated that you should not overtake another vehicle within a Traffic Calming area too.

[BLAKEY]

The worst case you are ever likely to see of flagrant law breaking by private hire drivers can be witnessed outside St. John's Centre in Albion Street. Here you will see private hire cars blatantly parked on the bus stops as long as they think necessary until a very unwise prospective passenger taps on the window and gets in after stating the required destination.First Leeds have made many approaches to LCC to get this stopped but there has been no meaningful action at all. Buses often have to pull up in the roadway to pick up their pasengers causing difficulty all round. Alternatively the drivers have to pull up behind the car and sound their horns (illegal while stationary incidentally) in the hope of shifting the poacher - so blase are the car drivers that many stubbornly sit there even then.When the private hire car has illegally found a passenger the driver is almost certain to do a dangerous U Turn without a signal, or race off through red traffis lights etc etc.Two major issues here - firstly of course no insurance, and secondly blatant law breaking and cheatingIf you want a little harmless sport one evening just stand between the northbound bus stops, peer meaningfully at a PH car number plate and pretend to take out a pen and a piece of paper - the effect is more dramatic than the starter's flag at Le Mans !!    

[Cardiarms]

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnew ... 642179.jpA single operator got the rights top operate from the airport pushing a consortium of black and whites out, who then moved to the city centre.

[Si]

Security?[Edited!]    

[Cardiarms]

Nooooooooo.......

[Reginal Perrin]

LS16 wrote: I was a licenced taxi driver in Leeds on a "black and white" cab - officially the same designation as a London Hackney Carriage.I had to do the Leeds Knowledge with about 500 routes to learn and then a test, at random, on (I think!) 25 or 30 of them. The only errors allowed were for example "Chapel Street" instead of "Chapel Lane" and you could be subject to re-examination at any time.Until recently "private hire" did not have to do anything other than pass a CRB (criminal record check) and short (30 minute) driving test to be issued with a badge. Even after this they only had a short familarisation course to attend.There are over 300 licensed Hackney Carriages in Leeds but only enough rank space for about half that. The problems also arise from the predestrianisation of Briggate and making Vicar Lane 2 way traffic plus, of course, people parking/loading/unloading on ranks - look at Millgarth Rank (outside the bus station next to the market) long enough for 10 cabs - rarely room for 4!The "private hire" drivers should be subject to a similar test but, perhaps more importantly, the public need to be educated. A private hire CANNOT pick up a fare that has not been booked IN ADVANCE with the office in question and if they do so are totally uninsured - beware saving a couple of quid at the end of an evening could cost dear!Just think too about the effect on drivers income as fuel prices etc rise but fares stay the same.I got out because i didn't like people talking behind my back!! If there is room for 150 taxis on ranks and there are 300 licenses I'd say that was plenty as drivers don't work 24 hours a day do they? Surely they shoudl be limited by time anyway like any driver. I do think that there should be more ranks and more recognition of private hire such as a holding area in a large carpar for instance so less cars cruise town.There should be a 10 car rank on every street on weekends it would stop bottlenecks at the station and trouble down at Aireline.I could never quite understand why taxis are allowed in restricted areas as they deserve no more priviledge than private hire or indeed any private car journey.

[Reginal Perrin]

BLAKEY wrote: The worst case you are ever likely to see of flagrant law breaking by private hire drivers can be witnessed outside St. John's Centre in Albion Street. Here you will see private hire cars blatantly parked on the bus stops as long as they think necessary until a very unwise prospective passenger taps on the window and gets in after stating the required destination.First Leeds have made many approaches to LCC to get this stopped but there has been no meaningful action at all. Buses often have to pull up in the roadway to pick up their pasengers causing difficulty all round. Alternatively the drivers have to pull up behind the car and sound their horns (illegal while stationary incidentally) in the hope of shifting the poacher - so blase are the car drivers that many stubbornly sit there even then.When the private hire car has illegally found a passenger the driver is almost certain to do a dangerous U Turn without a signal, or race off through red traffis lights etc etc.Two major issues here - firstly of course no insurance, and secondly blatant law breaking and cheatingIf you want a little harmless sport one evening just stand between the northbound bus stops, peer meaningfully at a PH car number plate and pretend to take out a pen and a piece of paper - the effect is more dramatic than the starter's flag at Le Mans !!     There is an easy way around cruising. The driver asks the potential passenger to ring the number on the side of the car and book him. He was, after all just waiting there for another fare which had not turned up. Bingo, fully legal and above board.

[rangieowner]

BLAKEY wrote: The worst case you are ever likely to see of flagrant law breaking by private hire drivers can be witnessed outside St. John's Centre in Albion Street. Here you will see private hire cars blatantly parked on the bus stops as long as they think necessary until a very unwise prospective passenger taps on the window and gets in after stating the required destination.First Leeds have made many approaches to LCC to get this stopped but there has been no meaningful action at all. Buses often have to pull up in the roadway to pick up their pasengers causing difficulty all round. Alternatively the drivers have to pull up behind the car and sound their horns (illegal while stationary incidentally) in the hope of shifting the poacher - so blase are the car drivers that many stubbornly sit there even then.When the private hire car has illegally found a passenger the driver is almost certain to do a dangerous U Turn without a signal, or race off through red traffis lights etc etc.Two major issues here - firstly of course no insurance, and secondly blatant law breaking and cheatingIf you want a little harmless sport one evening just stand between the northbound bus stops, peer meaningfully at a PH car number plate and pretend to take out a pen and a piece of paper - the effect is more dramatic than the starter's flag at Le Mans !!     A friend of mine who used to be a bus driver told me that any vehicle parked in a bus lane/stop if hit by a bus has no valid insurance so therefore has to pay for damage caused! So.... lets fit all buses with bull bars and instruct the drivers to be a little less carefull when entering bus stops!!!!!!!!!!!!