Private hire drivers demand access to Edinburgh bus lanes

Call for trial to give them parity with taxi drivers.

Edinburgh's bus lanes are restricted to certain vehicles at peak hours. Picture: Ian Georgeson.

Edinburgh Private Hire Drivers Association said barring its members from Edinburgh’s bus lanes put them at “blatant commercial disadvantage” against taxis.

It said they carried the most passengers in the capital after buses and a planned expansion of bus lanes would make the disparity even worse.

A bus lane is planned for Queensferry Road with bus gates on Dundee Street at Fountainbridge, Liberton Road, Craigmillar Park and Minto Street.

Parked cars have also obstructed Greenways. Picture: Susan Burrell.

Bus lane hours could also be extended from peak hours.

Chair Brian Le Vell said: “Currently, the City of Edinburgh Council allows hackney cab access to Greenways and bus gates whilst licensed private hire vehicles are denied the same access.

“This unfair commercial advantage has been given to hackneys for around 20 years.

“Licensed private hire vehicles now carry vastly more passengers than hackney cabs, and all projections indicate this trend will continue.

“The impending substantial extensions to the Greenways and the introduction of more bus gates will have a seriously detrimental effect on private hires’ ability to get around the city.

“Because of this, we think now is the ideal time for the council to review the current arrangements and to trial the effect of private hire vehicles having access to the Greenways and bus gates.

“The inclusion of private hire vehicles in any new regulations is hugely important to our trade if we are to play our part in the post-lockdown economic recovery of the city.

“We need to be able provide the public with efficient and affordable alternative transport choices if they are to be encouraged to refrain from using their own cars.

“The last thing anyone wants to see is an increase in the number of cars coming into the city because the public’s choices have been restricted without good enough reasons.

“All we are looking for is a level playing field with hackneys.”

A motoring group said there could be a case for temporary access for such vehicles.

Neil Greig, the Scotland-based policy and research director of IAM RoadSmart, said: “Private hire cars should only be allowed in bus lanes if the drivers had to undergo extra training and testing on their driving skills.

“This would ensure the risk to vulnerable road users was minimised, and is in line with the way taxis are licensed in some other parts of the UK.

“We are not aware of any evidence that drivers would follow private hire cars into bus lanes.

“If the bus lanes are clearly signposted and well-marked, the vast majority of drivers are well used to avoiding them.

“Edinburgh’s buses may well be its ‘most important and sustainable public transport mode’ but the public are being advised not to use them for now.

“This would suggest some form of temporary exemption could be given to private hire cars, but only if the drivers can prove they are safe.”

However, the city council said the move might encourage other drivers to use the lanes because private hire vehicles were less distinctive than taxis.

It also said the number of private hire vehicles in the city was not limited, unlike taxis.

Transport vice convener Karen Doran said: “It is council policy to restrict bus lane use to taxis, motorcycles and bikes.

“The decision not to allow private hire cars to use bus lanes has been based on a number of factors, including the potential negative impact on bus journey times and the effects on compliance by other vehicles.

“To allow access by more vehicles would erode public transport priority and protection for cyclists.”

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