New regulations for taxi and private hire vehicles

I suggest that there is an audit of the the volume of traffic, and for it to be undertaken routinely. This will help to identify what exactly is happening, and what contributes to pollution. I fear that Uber for example has contributed to the congestion in the streets, and didn't the Mayor promise to control the volume of PH vehicles? This will provide the evidence that is needed to manage the volume of traffic.

Equally important is the associated pollution of traffic. It seems that there is a passive acceptance that the toxic pollution is non-negotiable, even though it is killing people. It was directly related to hospital admissions and long stays last Winter of the frail elderly, and working with these patients directly as I do, it is very worrying to see how the numbers have dramatically risen and the associated challenges to the system to cope. The public has no idea what an acute admission for respiratory distress costs, or ongoing treatment and care/nursing costs. The people responsible for the pollution and its consequences are no way paying for their actions.

I read in the Standard that Islington Council is in discussion with Fabric about a possible re-opening of the club in Smithfield where ecstasy was allegedly freely available, resulting in the deaths of two teenagers.
This must be music to the ears of the hordes of touts who parked outside the place, illegally importuning unsuspecting punters to pay whatever the touts came up with for a fare to get home.
They're no doubt rehearsing their old lines now, "Psst! Taxi guv'nor?

Its not unreasonable for the travelling public to expext drivers to speak good english ,be properly presented and be properly licensed and insured ,surely the minimum requirements ,in my 70 years never had to worry about such things with black cabs , in my view the best cab service in the world and ive used most of them

Big problem is since the inception of uber in london the traffic has become diabolical,traffic was already terrible before uber came along adding 30/40 k cars to that seems utterly insane ,no wonder air quality is deadly we need traffic out of london not increase it with uber

I strongly support all the decisions, except the last couple about opening up extra bus lanes for their use. I think this should be restricted to zero emissions vehicles because it is next to the pavement and therefore the greatest pollution risk.
I hope that the end to new licenses for diesl taxis is from 1st jan 2018. Ideally it would be much sooner.

For all the regulations there is still a great problem with touting pirates and thieves ,i believe there should be one standard for all london cabs ,we have the best cab service in the world but its being destroyed by uber ,their drivers should face the same exacting standards our legendary cabbies face,people are being exploited by companies like uber as the receent court case proved ,the travelling public are entitled to the highest standard of driver and vehicle thats the course we should follow ,not a wild west app free for all

I do not understand this talk of more robust insurance requirements, private hire insurance is held by all drivers. Most part-time drivers, hire vehicles which are covered by fleet insurance anyway. The English language test will only effect a miniscule number of private hire drivers. Introducing better technology for black cabs will only help a marginal amount if the prices of their fares are to remain the same. As we used to say in business school Cash is King. Maybe Taxi drivers should have to maintain a rating too. Congestion would be helped a hell of a lot more if Transport for London didn't try to inflict 20mph speed limits on an increasing amount of main roads. This as I see it, is a major contributing factor to the falling speed limit argument.

Just doesn't make sense.

I almost stopped reading when I read we are giving £65M to black cabs...followed by we want to create a level playing field. Doesn't add up, does it?

There is no need to stifle technological improvement. Cities (can be replaced by states or people) that cling on to the old soon become 'irrelevant'. Rather than fight the change, one should understand, appreciate and then let the market adopt it 'efficiently'. There is no point trying to manage the market - one will only spend lots of money and get 'inefficiency as a result'.

(If you don't have time/patience see the summary in the end)
Here are some of the changes I have come to know by the description above and by the Mayor's email to me

1. English: If a driver's English is not good people like Bibamlbt (see messages above) will give the driver a bad rating and soon he/she will be 'weeded' out by technology companies (they use ratings to do that)
2. Insurance: All the ride share taxi drivers will have insurance. If you enforce a 'full-year' insurance on a part time driver, it is simply unfair. All you are doing is inviting a change in business model, where insurance companies will start insuring by mile
3. Provision of details: all do that anyway
4. Advanced driving test: What does that even mean? If it is navigation that is problem, who needs navigation. I know so many cab drivers who would use google maps despite knowing the way. And it makes sense as well, since google can tell you live traffic updates and clogs on routes

Summary: The above changes are well-intentioned, but are a costly way of doing something that market will take care of anyway - why waste tax payers money, time at the expense of their convenience?

On what evidence was it decided that PH drivers suffer form a paucity of English language ability? As a regular Uber user I have never encountered a problem. Come on please - on what evidence? Lets have no more protection for the black cab monopoly. It operates to the detriment of all Londoners by its gross overpricing and atrocious customer service.

All these new regualtions i call it double standard!

its all about more rules more money, and let the everyday public pay for it all.

why! why! why! do you have to listen to such crap.

and these opinions mean nothing, they dont care! they will do what they want, its alwasy been like this.

Keep cabs and hire vehicles out of the bus lanes. They are usually either empty or with only one or two passengers and they hold up the buses. Why should their drivers or passengers be privileged over other private vehicles? The bus lanes are dangerous enough for people cycling without having cabs and PH vehicles there too. And why are new licences for diesel cabs still being issued until 2018?

Let's first find out who can actually afford to use Black Cab's? Is available public funds (yours and mine) not better be invested in some alternative and truly a modern transport?
Customer service and integration of a new technologies or updating cars doesn't interest most of Black Cab drivers?
It's like financially supporting teenage son who is already in his 40's and can't accept reality!
The working conditions and requirements need to be the same to everybody working in the field - how many times before uber you took black cab without heating or air condioning?