CYCLE LANE MADNESS
2. The “F” word just sends us infuriated with passion. Funding, that is. The taxi/PHV industry has not received any, and it looks as though we shall not be receiving any. We’ve asked WHY? dozens of times in dozens of quarters, and have not received an answer as yet. So - is it sour grapes that we comment on the huge amount of funding being spent on these cycle lanes and pedestrian schemes? You bet it is!
3. The emissions issue raises its ugly head once again. Didn’t any of the thousands of town planners in this country warn the government that by setting down these obstructive cycle lanes and narrowing road access, you’re going to get more congestion than ever before?! Traffic jams make fumes, end of; and there are plenty of them around the place at the present time. What was going in the direction of reduced pollution during lock- down is now escalating to pre-pandemic levels of NO2 in many towns and cities.
4. As regards our licensed drivers, both their taxi and PHV passengers are going to be (and already have been) incon- venienced big time with travel delays, fumes, larger fares due to both delay and detours owing to the change of road layout in so very many localities.
5. The frightening lack of forethought, insight and considera- tion that has gone into the setting down of these cycle lanes and widened pavements etc. is beyond reproach. Mil- lions of pounds are being thrown at these schemes, a goodly number of which will only be temporary (hopeful- ly!) and another goodly number of which have been blatant mistakes which will need removing or have already been removed, at more expense.
The fact remains that our taxi and PHV drivers still have thou- sands of passengers who need to get from A to B and cannot either hop on a bike or walk very far; disabled passengers are top of the list, as are vulnerable passengers of all kinds. You
can joke about it, but (we) seniors – whilst having loved the joy of cycling as younger people – cannot risk cycling in today’s road conditions, at the risk of coming off the bike and sustaining serious injury.
You’ll never get a drunk on a bike at 3am either… that’s as much of a risk as him/her driving a car in that state. Nor will you get City executives cycling through the pouring rain in January.
Let’s be realistic about all this: the world has depended upon four-wheeled vehicles for business and enterprise over the last 100 years. We’re not about to jack in all forms of motor vehicle transport – least of all taxis and private hire vehicles.
The next few months will be very telling, as regards the suc- cess or otherwise of so many of the new cycle lanes and pedestrian-friendly schemes.
As always, we shall keep PHTM readers updated. Article written by Donna Short
WHO CARES ABOUT OUR TRADE? WE DO!
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JOIN THE NPHTA NOW! OCTOBER 2020 63
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