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Taxi and Cyclist copyright Simon MacMichael.jpgCould London taxi drivers scupper Cycle Superhighway plans?
The Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) has launched a judicial review on London's East-West Cycle Superhighway despite its head saying earlier in the year he didn't want blood on his hands from a delay to the plans.
According to BBC journalist, Tom Edwards, the LTDA, which represents the interests of London's black cab drivers, claims the route needed planning permission. However, experts who support the plans say road alterations of this nature don't require planning permission.
After the Association appeared to drop the issue in May, the timing appears strange, given the most contentious portion of the new Cycle Superhighway, which will run from Tower Hill to the Westway, is already being built on the Victoria Embankment, with some sections close to completion.
- London taxi drivers back Cycle Superhighways as plans for judicial review dropped
- Taxi drivers' association to seek judicial review of Cycle Superhighways?
BREAKING: Cabbies @TheLTDA launch judicial review against Mayor's embankment cycle superhighway. Claim should have had planning permission.
— Tom Edwards (@BBCTomEdwards) August 18, 2015
@BBCTomEdwards @citycyclists @TheLTDA Really? Wide powers to improve roads w/out need for p permission: see pp85-6 http://t.co/PmXTG4iiwq
— Ralph Smyth (@safemyth) August 18, 2015
The Association dropped earlier threats of a judicial review in May because its head, Steve McNamara, said he didn't want "blood on his hands" from a delay.
He said: “At the end of the day, does London need protected cycling? Yes it does.
“What we don’t want to do is issue a judicial review and all we achieve is delaying that by a year, and some cyclist gets killed in Parliament Square.
“I don’t want that. I don’t want blood on my hands.”
London Mayoral hopeful Christian Wolmar points out a significant part of the route has already been built.
.@BBCTomEdwards @TheLTDA Is this correct? Where is confirmation? Surely half of it is built?
— Wolmar for London (@wolmarforlondon) August 18, 2015
This section, on the Victoria Embankment, which leads to Parliament Square, which is almost complete, was the most contentious part for both the LTDA and Canary Wharf Group, who both threatened the route's completion with legal challenges, while claiming it would bring motor traffic to a standstill.
Campaign success! Cycle Superhighway begins to take shape on the Embankment http://t.co/DPq67zcJ7x pic.twitter.com/DjzkdIeQJy
— LdnCyclingCampaign (@london_cycling) August 18, 2015
There are scant other details at present, but road.cc has contacted the LTDA's head, Steve McNamara, who is at the LTDA's AGM today. We hope to have more details soon.
Is the @LTDA action against superhighways just a troll? Or do they plan to revoke the planning regulations? https://t.co/G7qcmB1LAL
— LdnCyclingCampaign (@london_cycling) August 18, 2015
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And 3 of the 'workers' are just leaning!
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16 comments
I wonder if the timing was a coincidence?
Roll on Uber, I say. Not that their drivers are necessarily any safer. But at least they don't organise themselves into tiresome unions determined to derail anything perceived as being counter to their members' outdated interests.
I'm puzzled as to how they think this is going to succeed. The decision to approve the scheme was in January, leaving them well outside the three month time limit to bring a JR.
I'm curious as to the planning grounds too. I'd have thought it must be a technicality.
Yeah, I mean I'm happy not using taxis.
What are they trying to prove?
Black cabbies think the world owes them a living.
They are an archaic mob whos days are numbered in the modern world. They just cannot abide change.
Sure we'll see them soon doing their usual go slow protest or alike causing more traffic delays over this.
You pay your money and makes the choice. Uber is mine.
Plus 1, for this. The sooner there replaced by Google cars the better. At least they won't give you their unasked for views on immigration every time I have to get in the back of one of them.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xGi6j2VrL0o
So having had time to think about it, Steve McNamara is now quite happy to have blood on his hands.
You could replace 'quite happy' with 'determined'.
With a bit of luck this thing can drag on a fair bit and run up millions in legal bills for the LTDA.
Is this a tit for tat action more related to Uber being allowed to operate in London rather than against cyclists?
Probably, or some other dispute with TfL. Literally a few days after the LTDA dropped their original threat, the mayor's office was making comments about capping the number of private hire vehicles to protect black cabs.
They always throw their toys out the pram when they haven't got their way over something.
So they want to delay this in order to stop delays !??!? Wtf are they on??? Embankment is a nightmare at the minute (just as any london road is when works are done - 99.99999999999999999999% normally totally unrelated to cycling) but as half is already complete how can this possibly help them?!?
It's one goddamn road out of thousands...and the Olympics cut it in half 3 years ago with no lasting effect...well, apart from convincing people we don't actually need a dual carriageway in the middle of a city for private motor cars to thrive of course
Perhaps the LTDA should spend its members money on something more worthwhile, like lobbying parliament to reduce the number of minicabs on London's streets.
Unless the LTDA have been in the habit of appealing against other infrastructure changes by judicial review (new buildings, extensions etc), then you have to conclude that this is an attack against cyclists and cycling.
Poisoning the well, I reckon.
Since many cyclists in London choose not to have a car, they will at times prefer to use a taxi. Uber will capitalise on this.