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Why are Taxis allowed to use bus lanes?

patrickpc

When did society decide that Taxis should be allowed to use bus lanes?

Isn't this just another case of the richer in society (those who can afford to take taxis) benefitting at everyone's else expense?

Not to mention the likes of Michael O'Leary who had his own private Taxi back in the boom.

Does anyone else think this is wrong?

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Santa Cruz

endacl wrote: »

You'd wear a top hat with a tuxedo? Between the hours of 7am to 7 pm? The tuxedo is only to be worn from dusk to dawn. Where did you go to school?

My dear chap, I very much fear that it is you the peasants might be laughing at!

Leave the poor bugger alone. He was my fag at Winchester. His Grandfather was with the Dragoons at Maafeking. Jolly good show too

seamus

Tail Docker wrote: »

I can hear the roars of the Truck-drivers from here.

I'm not talking about trucks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_commercial_vehicle
Anything bigger than a van should need a permit to enter the city. There's no good reason to be driving trucks onto narrow city streets unless you're carrying a piece of cargo that won't fit in a van.

doolox

Taxis will not park all day in scarce car park in spaces in the congested city centre, most taxi drivers know their way around the city better than most occasional visitors so it is better to encourage the use of taxis in trips to town rather than have a car parked all day in city ctr. I imagine some group such as city council,business group etc came up with the idea. Gardai and ambulance can also use bus lanes.

Spook_ie

patrickpc wrote: »

When did society decide that Taxis should be allowed to use bus lanes?

Isn't this just another case of the richer in society (those who can afford to take taxis) benefitting at everyone's else expense?

Not to mention the likes of Michael O'Leary who had his own private Taxi back in the boom.

Does anyone else think this is wrong?

Thinly veiled "Taxis can use the new bridge I can't Boo Hoo" thread

patrickpc

Spook_ie wrote: »

Thinly veiled "Taxis can use the new bridge I can't Boo Hoo" thread

Don't know where you got that from. Didn't know taxis could use the new bridge and never mentioned Dublin in my OP.

sTroll on.

longhalloween

How do taxi's bog down busses, when they move faster than busses?

If anything there should be dedicated taxi lanes. Reduce your fare and travel time in one fell swoop!

ezra_pound

Ray Palmer wrote: »

They were always allowed use them as are cyclists. They are actually commuter lanes but named bus lanes for convenience. Some are strictly bus lanes that only busses can us, counter-flow one are the only such ones AFAIK

No they were not always allowed to use them.

RobbingBandit

Taxi drivers are moaning fcuks, it was a feeble attempt to shut them up complaining.

Agricola

Hotale.com wrote: »

If everyone used public transport we'd all get around more quickly and therefore productivity would increase, therefore by using your own car you cost the economy money.

True. The flip side however is that if more people used public transport, then less people would own cars, which would be a major loss of revenue to the state, which is heavily dependent on penal motor tax rates and excise on fuel.

mad m

A taxi can use a normal (with-flow) bus lane only while it is operating as an SPSV – carrying a passenger, on the way to pick up a pre-booked customer, or plying for hire. Taxis must not use bus lanes if they are not operating as an SPSV – for example, driving home at the end of a shift, travelling on personal business, or transporting only goods and not passengers.

Taxis are not allowed to use contra-flow bus lanes (in which traffic travels in the opposite direction to the traffic beside it) under any circumstances.

Hackneys and limousines are not permitted to use bus lanes.

Frank Lee Midere

mad m wrote: »

A taxi can use a normal (with-flow) bus lane only while it is operating as an SPSV – carrying a passenger, on the way to pick up a pre-booked customer, or plying for hire. Taxis must not use bus lanes if they are not operating as an SPSV – for example, driving home at the end of a shift, travelling on personal business, or transporting only goods and not passengers.

Taxis are not allowed to use contra-flow bus lanes (in which traffic travels in the opposite direction to the traffic beside it) under any circumstances.

Hackneys and limousines are not permitted to use bus lanes.

That's absolutely impossible to police. I mean the guards can't know if a taxi driver is on his way to a pickup.

patrickpc

mad m wrote: »

A taxi can use a normal (with-flow) bus lane only while it is operating as an SPSV – carrying a passenger, on the way to pick up a pre-booked customer, or plying for hire. Taxis must not use bus lanes if they are not operating as an SPSV – for example, driving home at the end of a shift, travelling on personal business, or transporting only goods and not passengers.

Taxis are not allowed to use contra-flow bus lanes (in which traffic travels in the opposite direction to the traffic beside it) under any circumstances.

Hackneys and limousines are not permitted to use bus lanes.

The above means that Taxi drivers can use bus lanes pretty much whenever they like. They can easily claim to be on the way to pick up a pre-booked customer and what guard is ever going to bother verifying it.

patrickpc

longhalloween wrote: »

How do taxi's bog down busses, when they move faster than busses?

If anything there should be dedicated taxi lanes. Reduce your fare and travel time in one fell swoop!

Any other vehicle, other than a bike maybe, would delay buses using a bus lane. That is the main reason we don't have carpool lanes on our city bus lanes.

Paulzx

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

It's not like there are a million taxis in Dublin.

Jaysus........every taxi driver i talk to says there is:D

seamus

Agricola wrote: »

True. The flip side however is that if more people used public transport, then less people would own cars, which would be a major loss of revenue to the state, which is heavily dependent on penal motor tax rates and excise on fuel.

Less private vehicles would mean far less infrastructural costs and better health

Swings and roundabouts. The state doesn't actually bring in enough in motor tax and fuel excise to cover the cost of the roads.

dixiefly

the OP has a fair point and it is one that also often crossed my mind.

Why should a taxi with one or two persons in it have priority over a car with 4 or 5 persons in it?

In Phoenix AZ, the fast lane is for commuters with more than one person in the car. I am not advocating that here as the roads in Phx are 2 or 3 lanes wide.

patrickpc

dixiefly wrote: »

the OP has a fair point and it is one that also often crossed my mind.

Why should a taxi with one or two persons in it have priority over a car with 4 or 5 persons in it?

In Phoenix AZ, the fast lane is for commuters with more than one person in the car. I am not advocating that here as the roads in Phx are 2 or 3 lanes wide.

Finally someone who agrees with me!

The answer to your question is that the person in the Taxi has paid for the right to take priority over every other vehicle on the so-called Public road. That is what I think is wrong, regardless of car occupancy. I mean, most/all road users are paying for the roads.

longhalloween

patrickpc wrote: »

The answer to your question is that the person in the Taxi has paid for the right to take priority over every other vehicle on the so-called Public road

Well its a public transport road. And taxis are public transport.

I thought the idea of bus lanes was to encourage people to leave their cars at home. Even if 4 people are in a private car, its still an extra car coming into the city.

K.Flyer

Mr.McLovin wrote: »

because taxi drivers think they own the fcuking road

Fixed your post!

ezra_pound

longhalloween wrote: »

Well its a public transport road. And taxis are public transport.

I thought the idea of bus lanes was to encourage people to leave their cars at home. Even if 4 people are in a private car, its still an extra car coming into the city.

No it's not a public transport road. It's a BUS LANE originally conceived to benefit buses and bikes not cars or vans.

Taxis driving in bus lanes do not encourage me to leave the car at home. They make my cycle to work slower, more stressful and much more dangerous.

The only thing taxis in bus lanes incentivise people to do is take taxis. Taxis are cars or vans. We're trying to reduce our dependence on cars and vans.

What's the benefit of leaving my car at home to pay someone else to drive me in their car. I don't see your point?

Spook_ie

Just as a point of order

Prohibition on entry to bus lanes.

41. (1) A person shall not enter a with-flow bus lane with a vehicle other than an omnibus or a pedal cycle during the period indicated by means of an information plate of the type authorised by article 5 (2) of the bus lane regulations.

(2) A person shall not enter a contra-flow bus lane with a vehicle other than an omnibus.

(3) A person shall not enter a bus-only street with a vehicle other than an omnibus except for the purpose of access.

(4) ( a ) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this rule shall not apply to a vehicle entering a with-flow bus lane or a contra-flow bus lane solely for the purpose—

(i) of entering or leaving premises or property adjacent to such a bus lane, or

(ii) of entering or leaving a road inset adjacent to such a bus lane in order to load or unload goods.

( b ) Paragraph (1) of this rule does not apply to a licensed public hire vehicle which is being used in the course of business as a public hire vehicle and which bears a roof sign clearly indicating that the vehicle is a street service vehicle.

From Earliest SI I found dated 1985 referencing bus lanes

ezra_pound

Spook_ie wrote: »

Just as a point of order

From Earliest SI I found dated 1985 referencing bus lanes

1981
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0182.html#zzsi182y1997a32

Spook_ie

ezra_pound wrote: »

1981
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0182.html#zzsi182y1997a32

That's 1997...

EDIT
And includes

(4) A person shall not enter a bus only street with a vehicle other than an omnibus except for the purpose of access.

(5) ( a ) Sub-articles (1) and (2) shall not apply to a vehicle crossing a with flow bus lane or a contra flow bus lane solely for the purpose—

(i) of entering or leaving premises or property adjacent to such a bus lane, or

(ii) of entering or leaving a road inset adjacent to such a bus lane in order to load or unload goods.

( b ) Sub-article (2) shall not apply to a taxi or a wheelchair accessible taxi which is being used in the course of business.

Reformed Character

patrickpc wrote: »

When did society decide that Taxis should be allowed to use bus lanes?

Does anyone else think this is wrong?

Eh, NO.

Capt'n Midnight

smellmepower wrote: »

Taxi drivers should also be punished for the way they grind Dame Street to a standstill every Friday and Saturday night by parking and waiting for fares wherever they like.

No need to "punish" them.

All that needs to happen is enforcement of existing laws.
Especially those that apply to the use of indicators and the 50Km/h speed limits

seamus wrote: »

Less private vehicles would mean far less infrastructural costs and better health

Swings and roundabouts. The state doesn't actually bring in enough in motor tax and fuel excise to cover the cost of the roads.

If the state shifted the burden of motor tax onto excise duty for fuel then it would encourage people to use public transport. At present it's pretty much a case of public transport not being cheaper than cars outside rush hour

Thud

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Because its public transport, op.
How well do you think taxis would work if they had to wait in traffic with all the other cars? With the meter still ticking? :pac:

Like taxi drivers in most other cities in the world maybe ???

minotour wrote: »

I'd like to see proposals for High Occupancy Vehicles in bus lanes during commuter hours. I watch the N11 in the morning and its mostly single occupant cars lined up as far as the eye can see, surely with the right incentive people could car pool and get to work in a fraction of the time.

This would be a much better use of the lanes. A taxi with one passenger is congesting as much as a car with one passenger

phasers

Well if they couldn't use bus lanes then taxi fares would cost more because the meter would still be ticking while you're sitting in traffic, and traffic would be even worse which is bad for everyone.

whirlpool

patrickpc wrote: »

When did society decide that Taxis should be allowed to use bus lanes?

Isn't this just another case of the richer in society (those who can afford to take taxis) benefitting at everyone's else expense?

Not to mention the likes of Michael O'Leary who had his own private Taxi back in the boom.

Does anyone else think this is wrong?

That's a joke, right? You believe that people who can afford to buy, own and run a car are poorer than those who can't?

If you can afford to buy, own and run a car then you are the richer in society.

The only reason I ever have to take a taxi is if I'm too late for the bus and because I can't afford the expenses of a car. Yeah - I'm totally "the richer in society." And if the taxi wasn't allowed use the bus lane, the taxi bill would probably be twice the cost and the journey would take twice as long.

And if you're speaking strictly on a bus-users vs taxi-users basis, then see above comment re having missed the bus, not being rich and not being able to afford spending twice as long in a taxi.

Spook_ie

Thud wrote: »

Like taxi drivers in most other cities in the world maybe ???

This would be a much better use of the lanes. A taxi with one passenger is congesting as much as a car with one passenger

But only half as much as a car with just a driver, less the requirement for storage of the car for an hour or so while you shop, business meet or whatever, if in doubt count the single occupancy private vehicles in a traffic queue sometime

Admittedly there are too many taxis in Dublin and other urban centers but that's a product of deregulation not of their use of bus lanes

AlanG

Mr.McLovin wrote: »

because taxi drivers own the fcuking road

Way to generalise – in fact they are a pretty diverse bunch working in a very dangerous job. A lot of people seem to think it ok to paint all taxi drivers with one bad brush. Perhaps it’s professional class snobbery at having to converse with a working class person. There are some bad Taxi Drivers, some really bad ones and lot of good ones just trying to make a living.