A 20mph speed limit could be introduced on almost all residential roads and high streets in London by the end of the decade, according to the mayor’s transport advisor.
Motorists could be restricted to that limit within the M25 on all but a major arteries into the capital, according to Isabel Dedring, deputy mayor for transport.
Westminster City Council is now to consult on whether to relax its policy towards 20mph speed limits.
Most central London boroughs have already implemented 20mph limits across residential streets but up till now, Westminster has resisted the policy, incurring hash criticism from campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us.
Westminster is now to seek views on 20mph zones and limits in a consultation on a draft walking strategy, expected to be published before the end of the year.
spokesman for the AA said: “In principle we have nothing against 20mph zones although you have to remember when you are slowing traffic down you slow down the working life of the city.”
Early this morning , we heard the news that from next year, every Taxi will have to have a TfL approved Contactless Credit Card payment system, under the terms of the conditions of fitness. Obviously, this will not be available free to the driver and in certain cases, the driver will have to pay a rental fee for a fitted unit. More news as and when it becomes available.
The driver will have to pay the card surcharge which we believe will be set at 3%, with the passenger paying just the metered fare.
To compensate the driver, there will be a small increase in the metered fare (20p). This means that passengers who pay cash, will be subsidising those wanting credit. (Can’t wait to see the headlines in the papers when that comes in)
But it doesn’t end there. This new measure will not put bums on seats as drivers will still be able to refuse.
Contra to what many people believe, there has never really been a shortage of drivers able to take Card payments…..12,000 drivers on Hailo, 7,000 drivers on Gett, plus thousands of Cab App and iZettle users all with the facility to clear payments from street hails. You also have even more drivers on radio circuits that clear street hailed CCs.
We have recently seen an assault on in-app card payments by a certain business competitor, complaining to Visa about CabApp’s clearance of Visa payments by the driver. It’s about to get very nasty.
In our opinion, the only people who will be laughing all the way to the bank, are the third party fixed system suppliers, who will be renting out their equipment.
If TfL projections are correct, this business will be worth somewhere in the region of £24m a year, all of which is to be taken out of the drivers pocket.
Read the statement from the Mayor made earlier today
A copy of the consultation report is available on our website: >Click Link<
Here’s what the GLA Transport Committee had to say about the new measures:
The Transport Committee welcomes Transport for London’s (TfL) announcement that taxis will have to accept card and contactless payments from next year.
Making the acceptance of card payments more attractive to cabbies was one of the important recommendations made in our ‘Future Proof’ report into the taxi and private hire industries – and it is clearly common sense. (How is paying a rental and paying the card surcharge, making card acceptance more attractive to driver?)
Passengers will no longer have to worry about carrying cash and it is very positive news for drivers.
We heard evidence from New York during our investigation, where the introduction of card payments boosted business (not so! The Yellow Cab industry in New York has been decimated by Uber who have now stepped up its assault on the trade by slashing fares by 20%. The industries medallions which were once worth billions are now virtually worthless and unsaleable) – so this gives licensed taxi drivers a golden opportunity, in a hugely competitive market.
The elimination of customer surcharges for card payments and the reduction in transaction fees paid by drivers should all add up to a better, more efficient service for customers. (The way they have phrased this passage, is as if drivers have been paying transaction fees which are now going to be reduced…again the GLA research seems to be years behind the reality of the situation).
So far, the cabbies’ actions have cost them just business, goodwill and public support. Now it threatens to get a whole lot worse.
Sir Peter is promising to review the privileges and concessions allowed to Hackney cabs. A move which could cost them their livelihood.
It could mean them being denied exclusive use of bus lanes, and the bus gates in Charles Street and Causeway Lane.
It could also see a reduction in the amount of road space dedicated to taxi ranks and place a question mark over plans for new ranks.
There may also be extra focus on vehicle safety, with a review of the condition and age policy for Hackney carriages.
But perhaps most significantly of all, Sir Peter may be tempted to waive a voluntary restriction on the number of new licences the city council issues.
This could open the floodgates to more than 120 new drivers who are currently on its waiting list.
There are 120 drivers who have already indicated they are prepared to sign up to the penalty points system.
Frankly, it is easy to see why the city mayor is running out of patience.
The go-slow protest drives by cabbies have been deliberately planned to cause maximum disruption to the city and its travelling public.
Like every working man, cabbies have a right to withdraw their labour. For a day, half-a-day, or just an hour. Whatever they choose.
But rather than taking their vehicles off the roads in a symbolic “strike”, they choose instead to paralyse main arteries.
By delaying the announcement of the route for today’s planned protest, they gave us little or no time to adjust travel arrangements. That will be seen as provocative.
End it now. While you still have a business worth the name.
Tory mayoral candidate believes electric cars will make bus lanes obsolete
All bus lanes would be scrapped in London under plans being considered by the Conservative London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith.
Goldsmith told LBC’s Nick Ferrari, that the rise of electric cars means that there will soon be “no point” in having bus lanes.
Only buses, cyclists and black cabs are allowed to use the lanes currently.
However, he said he would first allow electric cars to use the lanes as a perk, before scrapping them altogether
“It is inevitable that the majority of cars, if not all cars will be electric,” he said.
“I can’t see any reason in the short term as a perk, an incentive to get people to buy electric cars, this [allowing electric cars into bus lanes] shouldn’t happen.”
“I think that if I am right and I am absolutely convinced I am, that we are going to see a massive shift in the type of cars people own, then within two or three years there will be no point having bus lanes because everybody is going to be driving these things around.”
Labour’s mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan today attacked Goldsmith’s plans.
“I want to see more people switching to electric cars and I’ll expand London’s network of charging points. But the idea that we’ll be able to scrap bus lanes in the near future isn’t grounded in reality,” he told Politics.co.uk
“Millions of Londoners use buses every day – more than any other form of public transport. We have to make their journeys easier, not harder.”
The Greens’ also savaged the proposals.
“Zac Goldsmith has been pitching himself as a Green Tory but now it seems he wants to abolish bus lanes,” Green party transport spokesperson Caroline Russell told Politics.co.uk.
“Making London’s streets less friendly for buses would be a staggeringly backward step. Scrapping bus lanes… makes no sense. The solution to air pollution and congested streets is to get more public transport, cycling and walking, not to transfer everyone into electric cars.”
The Liberal Democrats described Goldsmith’s comments as an “insult” to bus passengers.
“Zac Goldsmith’s comments are an insult to the millions of people who regularly use London’s buses,” Lib Dem mayoral candidate Caroline Pidgeon said.
“His policies would inconvenience every bus user as well as cyclists and taxis.
“He has demonstrated a total failure to understand the importance of bus lanes in keeping buses and taxis moving and helping to move huge numbers of people around every corner of the capital. Without them London would face continual gridlock.”
Goldsmith also used his interview with LBC today to attack London’s cycle campaign groups.
“[The cycle] campaign groups are quite hard to deal with,” he told Ferrari.
“Boris is the most cycle friendly politician Britain has even known and he is still savaged every day by the cycling lobby. He is called a murderer and told he has blood on his hands… There is an unreasonableness.”
He also signalled that he would concentrate more on developing so-called ‘cycle quietways’ on London backstreets rather than further developing cycle superhighways.
He said there was an “aggressive” nature to the superhighways, and suggested that quietways would be a less intimidating and cheaper alternative
Actress Frances Barber was verbally accosted by a ‘sharia’ minicab driver for her ‘disgusting appearance’ after she attended the Evening Standard Theatre Awards (pictured)
Dressed in an elegant gown and dazzling earrings, she had enjoyed a night of glamour alongside the cream of showbusiness at an awards ceremony.
But for actress Frances Barber, the evening ended on a sour note after she was verbally accosted by a ‘sharia’ minicab driver.
Miss Barber, 58, who plays a barrister in BBC1 legal drama Silk, claimed the man, whom she booked through mobile phone app Uber, said she was ‘disgustingly dressed’ and that women should not be out at night.
After the encounter, which is believed to have taken place in the early hours of yesterday, she wrote on Twitter: ‘Just had a sharia Uber driver, first time in London. Shocked. Reported.’
The term ‘sharia’ seemingly refers to sharia law, which is based on an interpretation of Islamic teachings. It is often criticised for being discriminatory against women.
Miss Barber, who had been at London’s Old Vic theatre for the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, said in a second Twitter post: ‘I get Uber out of Old Vic & driver says as a woman I shouldn’t be alone at night & I am disgustingly dressed. THIS IS LONDON.’
The acclaimed actress had worn a demure black ensemble with a high-necked top and floor-length skirt to the event, which was attended by stars such as Gillian Anderson, Gemma Arterton and Kate Beckinsale.
After leaving the event, she booked the taxi through Uber, which sends your location to the company’s nearby cars, one of which will pick you up. She said she mentioned that it was a cold night, to which the driver responded: ‘Well if you weren’t so disgustingly dressed…’
When one of her Twitter followers asked how she reacted, she said she was so angry she ‘got out of cab, slammed door & yelled’.
Uber has apologised for the incident and claimed it will be taking ‘appropriate action’. But it did not confirm whether the driver has been suspended or an investigation launched. The company is reported to have more than 15,000 drivers in London – and rising.
Uber insists drivers are subject to the same strict checks that cover those operating black cabs – but these are far from foolproof.
Frances Barber pictured at the award ceremony with Sir Ian McKellen (left)
Uber has apologised for the incident and claimed it will be taking ‘appropriate action’. Ms Barber is pictured here on This Morning in January 2013
Uber replied to Miss Barber on Twitter, posting: ‘We take these situations very seriously. A member of our team will be in touch ASAP’. She is pictured here in 1992 modelling Armani clothing
Transport for London (TfL) recently launched an investigation into the firm after it was revealed one driver was able to be approved for work by using fake insurance documents.
Uber replied to Miss Barber on Twitter, posting: ‘We take these situations very seriously. A member of our team will be in touch ASAP.’
A spokesman later said: ‘We were shocked about this unacceptable incident and immediately reached out to the rider to offer our full support. We will of course take appropriate action and would like to again extend our sincere apologies to the rider.’
Ms Barber pictured in 2004 with actors Christian Slater and MacKenzie Crook before rehearsals for play One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
When pressed about what action would be taken, the spokesman said: ‘We don’t discuss individual cases – however all partner drivers on the Uber platform go through enhanced DBS [CRB] checks.’
TfL also contacted the actress online to ask for further details about the incident, but told the Daily Mail last night it would not launch an investigation and would leave the matter to Uber.
Miss Barber declined to comment last night. The star, who was nominated for an Olivier award in 1985, has appeared in an extensive list of stage productions, while TV performances have included guest-starring in Doctor Who.
In October a civil servant was left with cuts and bruises after being knocked down twice by her own Uber minicab because the driver apparently took off before she was seated.
Susan Ismaeel said her life flashed before her eyes after she tumbled out of the taxi’s open door twice as the driver pulled off.
The 37-year-old said she then flew through the air, banging her head, knee and shoulders as she landed.
The civil servant, who was on the way home from dinner with her 33-year-old sister Sondos, has been left with huge gash on her head, as well as deep wound on her knee.
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