TAXI BANK ACCESS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: february 2017 :: RMTnews 7 R MT London Taxi drivers are locked in bitter dispute with the City of London, the scene of a week-long series of demonstrations by drivers around Bank Junction. The City of London Corporation has approved an experimental traffic order that will restrict the use of Bank Junction to only buses and cycles excluding taxis from 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday. The exclusion of licensed taxis will disrupt passenger journey times and fares and vehicles will be forced out onto surrounding streets, already failing under both TFL & CoL traffic management. City of London has cited the main reason for taxis exclusion as one of public safety. However this is despite licensed taxis being the lowest vehicle group surveyed involved in killed or seriously injured accidents over five years. In contrast Transport for London buses were three times higher. Following the dispute in a meeting with City of London, RMT branch secretary Lewis Norton was told by officials that the scheme would be under constant review, but they were unwilling to move from their position regarding the exclusion of taxis from Bank junction at the this moment in time. “City of London will have to brace itself for a further round of driver demonstrations if a resolution cannot be found for the capital’s taxi drivers,” he said. T he romance of steam returned to Britain's railways for Valentine's Day as a traditional locomotive hauled passengers on a scheduled main line service for the first time in half a century. The Peppercorn class A1 steam locomotive Tornado carved its way through the rugged Eden Valley in Cumbria, across the spectacular Ribblehead Viaduct and over the Yorkshire Dales, the first for 50 years that a steam train has replaced regular train passenger services. The initiative, organised by Northern Rail, Network Rail and the Friends of Settle and Carlisle ran two return journeys for two days between Appleby and Skipton. TAXI BANK ACCESS STEAMING OVER SETTLE