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Taxi protest over bus lanes
Denise Evans

August 04, 2009

HUNDREDS of private-hire cabs formed a giant convoy in a bid to persuade the council to let them use bus lanes.

Drivers from across Greater Manchester took time out from ferrying fares around to join the protest outside the City of Manchester Stadium.

The cabbies snaked their cabs through the city streets, finishing up at outside the town hall in Albert Square - and causing traffic chaos in the process.

Current regulations permit black taxis, but not private-hire firms, from pulling in and out of bus lanes.

Minicab drivers claim this is discrimination, and prevents them from picking up and dropping off disabled and elderly passengers at their exact destination.

Sham Raja, chairman of the Manchester Private Hire Operators Association, said: "We have done this as a last resort to get the council and the Highways Agency to listen to us.

"We just want to be treated the same as the black cabs. It is not fair that they are allowed in the bus lane and we are not.

Disadvantage

"It really makes a difference and we are at a distinct disadvantage to them, especially for our disabled passengers, blind passengers and those passengers with a baby buggy or luggage."

Paul Livesey, who owns Millennium cars in Wythenshawe, said: "The main problem for us is when we have tourists come from the airport and they get angry when we sit in traffic and don't understand why black cabs pass us in the bus lane.

"Some passengers think we are doing it on purpose to bump up their fare, but we are not.

"Instead of preventing the congestion, we are causing it and it is stupid because the bus lanes are often empty."

The council seem to be standing firm and feel that if they allow minicabs to use the bus lane, it will cause problems for public transport.

Richard Cowell, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "There are more than 15,000 private-hire vehicles in Greater Manchester, so allowing them to go into bus lanes would mean delays for the public transport that the lanes are intended to avoid."

The protesters have pledged there will be a series of smaller convoys in the other boroughs of Greater Manchester in coming weeks.