London is the world’s most congested city, according to a survey of traffic conditions in more than 100 cities.
Drivers spent an average of 101 hours in gridlock in the capital last year – making it the first city to surpass the 100-hour mark.
It also remains Europe’s gridlock capital for the second year running, road traffic analyst INRIX revealed in its 2015 Traffic Scorecard.
The UK’s top 10 most congested metropolitan areas, led by London, span the country – from Avon and North Somerset in the South to Leeds-Bradford in the North.
A 10-mile stretch of the A217 in London was the UK’s most congested road for the second year running, costing each driver an average of 110 hours, or 4.5 days, of wasted time in 2015.
The growth of the UK’s economy, the fall in unemployment and the rise in population could all be factors, the study suggested.
Bryan Mistele, president and CEO of INRIX, said: “Transport for London is tackling this problem with its £4 billion Road Modernisation Plan. Whilst in the short term the roadworks from this initiative are frustrating for drivers, they are a step towards creating a more sustainable and modernised transport network.”
Taxi drivers in London demonstrated around the Royal Lancaster Hotel tonight whilst the London Transport Awards took place inside the hotel.
London Transport Awards
The awards are supported by Transport for London, London Councils and London Travel Watch and recognise excellence in transport and reward innovation and progress for transport initiatives which are really working in London.
The London Transport Awards 2016 will be held at the Lancaster London on 3rd March 2016.
DRESS CODE: Lounge Suit
The Flash Demo as drivers term it was organised by drivers, referred to by Boris Johnson as ludittes, via social media using their smart phones.
Enforce the Law
Drivers are demonstrating regarding the lack of enforcement by TFL on their licensees within the private hire sector and what they see as TFL trying to deregulate the London Taxi Trade through the back door, a trade which is the most heavily regulated trade of its kind in the World with a 360 years history.
London Taxi Drivers feel that TFL seem to favour the private hire industry over the traditional black taxis by “turning a blind eye” to some of their more dubious activities. Taxi drivers also feel that they are victimised by TFL and endure far more checks than their private hire rivals/
Taxis Block the streets around the Royal Lancaster Hotel Bayswater
TFL also do not check for Hire and Reward Insurance when licensing a Private Hire vehicle which is a fundamental basic for protecting the travelling public. Private Hire drivers do not have to take a additional driving test to be able to transport members of the public, unlike black cab drivers who have to pass an additional stringent driving assessment.
Taxi drivers have said that TFL can expect an every increasing number of these Flash Demo’s until TFL start to negotiate with the trade and enforce the regulations in a proper manner against the private hire trade.
Drivers are becoming infuriated at TFLs lack of enforcement of the private hire trade and have demonstrated many times over the past few months with at least two official demonstration planned during march 2016 and many more to come.
TFL need to do their job properly and make sure that their licensees obey the rules and work to the letter of the law.
For the princely sum of £100, in a borrowed car, with no hire and reward insurance and no private hire drivers license, LBC’s Theo Ushereood was able to get the car licensed by TfL as a private hire vehicle, drive into the City and openly ply for hire.
How has this man, Director of Serice Operations (surface transport) Peter Blake, still got a job.
Listening to him being taken apart, on this mornings Nick Ferrari show on LBC shows how incompetent LTPH is. This one interview shows that this licensing authority isn’t fit for purpose and needs to be completely overhauled.
This comes just hours after TfL’s scandalous announcement on their @TfLTPH Twitter account, that members of the public can approach a waiting PHV driver, ask if he is for hire, and after being told “Yes”, can then use their smartphone app to then immediately hire that car.
And the TfL authorised operator Shen said -in her opinion- quite legal
Well Shen, actually it’s not. We have many years of case law that state it’s not.
I would therefore like to draw TfL’s attention to 3 cases
1) White v McKay………1946
2) Rose v Welbeck…….1962
3) Vincent v Newman..1962
You can read all about these cases and the judgements:
This really isn’t good enough from our licensing authority. They should issue an immediate apology and remove the tweet from their time line on Twitter.
Alan Flemings piece complied some years ago, still remains the best quick glance resource on “Illegal Plying”:
An LBC investigation shows just how easy it is for illegal minicab drivers to operate in London while appearing to have an official license from Transport for London.
The black cabs association, the LTDA, has claimed that one in 10 minicab drivers in London may be driving illegally.
LBC’s Political Editor Theo Usherwood went to Transport for London’s test centre with someone else’s car, someone else’s log book, someone else’s MOT and no proper insurance.
But he still walked out with private hire vehicle license, which gave him those yellow stickers you see on the windscreens of minicabs to she the car is licensed.
He then went to park on the side of the road near Bank Station and just waited. Four separate passengers approached him to ask him to take them home.
The manager for Uber in Alberta says the ride-sharing app will cease operating in the province on Tuesday unless the provincial government makes insurance and licensing changes.
Ramit Kar told a demonstration of about 150 Uber supporters on the steps of the Alberta legislature on Saturday that the government must allow flexibility on requirements that drivers have commercial licences.
He says the province must also approve a ride-sharing insurance product that Uber has obtained from a private insurer.
Uber wants the changes in order to satisfy requirements passed by Edmonton Council that take effect on March 1.
Under the Edmonton bylaw, Uber drivers must carry provincially approved insurance, have an annual vehicle inspection and agree to a criminal record check.
Kar says without action by the province by Tuesday, thousands of people will be affected.
“We hope that the voice this group and the many voices they represent are heard by the province and that we see action soon,” Kar told cheering supporters, many of whom were Uber drivers.
“We hope to continue to see you on the road.”
A spokesperson for Alberta Transportation Minister Brian Mason said in an e-mailed statement on Saturday that the government is dealing with several issues, including licensing and insurance, and wants to address all the issues at once rather than in a piecemeal fashion “We are committed to finding an appropriate solution allowing ride share companies to operate in a fair manner, while also protecting drivers, passengers, and other road users,” Aileen Machell said.
Calgary city council has also passed a ride-sharing bylaw which could take effect in April, but officials with Uber have said those rules are too strict.
Calgary’s bylaw requires ride-sharing drivers to have a Class 4 driver’s licence – a commercial licence. It also requires an annual $220 operating licence from the city, regular inspections, proof of eligibility to work in Canada and a police background check.
Several Uber drivers addressed the rally in Edmonton, saying the service gives them jobs and provides users with safe rides.
But Isack Isack, an Edmonton taxi driver who observed the rally and challenged Kar when he took media questions, said a commercial licence is important for anyone carrying passengers for money. Medical requirements for drivers, he noted, are more stringent with a commercial licence.
“They’re carrying other people,” Isack said to Kar.
Kar said Uber drivers are driving their personal cars, and that it’s no different than carpooling. He said Uber has proposed a number of options to the province for getting around the requirements of a commercial licence.
“A Corolla is a Corollla is a Corolla no matter which way you look at it,” Kar said.
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