🟥 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧.

Well this will put the argument ‘whether it’s right or wrong to rank up at the Paddington Exit in Praed Street’, to bed once and for all. 

In its infinite wisdom, Westminster Council have sent in the cavalry, in the form of… yes you guessed it, CONWAY. 

The small cycle lane that currently runs between the exit of the Hilton to the exit of the station, is about to be extended back to Eastbourne Terrace. 

This will make it an excellent touting hot spot as drivers of PH vehicles park up in London street and approach people leaving the station. 

No doubt TfL PCOs won’t be anywhere near the vicinity.

𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐓::

There was a good reason why this first started (in my opinion) and that was because of all the touts in their cars waiting/illegally ranking, to catch passengers who wanted to leave the station by the south exit. 

Although I didn’t use this pop up rank myself, I thought it was better that these people were able to get a proper Taxi before they were captured by touts. Plus, I couldn’t understand why Westminster council continually refused applications for a proper rank outside the Hotel…

Amazingly, drivers used to complain and slag off anyone using the pop up rank and sometimes even post photos of vehicles on social media, saying that the taxis waiting there were no better than touts, stealing work from drivers who were ranking up inside the station's north exit.

But that’s not true, passengers who prefer leaving by the south exit were leaving that way, even though they new the rank was in the north exit. 

Again amazingly, I would often recognise drivers waiting outside the Hilton who had gone on social media, complaining about the drivers on the pop up rank 🤷‍♂️.

But now, the cycle lane will put pay to any form of pop up rank, and (again in my opinion) will facilitate touts parking in London Street.