Estimated 30,000 Visitors At Peak Time....No New Ranks ! ... By Jim Thomas.

Cleaning up the Air, or cleaning up for Private Hire?

Just when you thought "it can't get any sillier" ! Just when you thought "surely they couldn't make any worse policy mistakes" ! 

Recently [another] expensive consultation has been published, this time about the preposed Garden Bridge. 

Contained in the consultation is a report of the research (if you can call it research) regarding capacity and demand for Taxis.

In this so called research, we are informed that within the peak weekend hours, the visitor numbers to this attraction would be somewhere in the region of 30,000. 

A report submitted with the planning application to both Lambeth and Westminster Councils, indicated that in their educated assessment of the expected tourist visitor group during the peak hours (estimated at 1,300 new visitors per hour) approximately 2% could arrive by and 2.1% could depart by Taxi, with a demand of approx 25-30 departing visitors requesting the use of a taxi during the peak hours. Based on an average capacity of 2.5 visitors per taxi, this would equate to a calculated demand of just 12 taxis per hour. In their opinion, that's 72 new taxi journeys per day, on a time scale from 6am till midnight.

The report goes on to say that visitors requiring taxis should be directed to the north side were available ranks are situated in the Strand (Savoy, McDonalds), Aldwych (ME hotel, One Aldwych Hotel, Waldorf Hotel, Australia House) 

Are they sure!!! No need for new Taxi ranks as visitors can walk to the Aldwych or down the Strand. It's the Shard all over again !

Are they clearing the way for touts to pick off unsuspecting tourists ? Will there be new PH satellite offices ? Will we see mobile booking vans sited around both ends of the bridge ?

Will we see belligerent Compliance Teams, harassing Taxi drivers looking to become hired while minicabs are left alone to tout ?

This project has all the hall marks of one almighty cock up.

What are our ranks and highway teams doing at these Unison House meetings ? Will the UTG step in ? Will Oddy suddenly speak out at TfL board meeting ?

While we are on this subject, what plans have been drawn up in regards to easy access Taxi ranks on New Year's Eve ? Has Winter Wonderland 2015 Taxi rank issue been resolved ?

   Looking forward to another "Winter Of Discontent"

After the mess of last years  New Year and Winter Wonderland rank chaos, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for this lot to sort anything out.