Portsmouth private hire drivers are fast running out of patience on hearing the news that the council is – yet again – about to deny its licensed private hire vehicles access to the city’s bus lanes.
At a meeting scheduled for 4pm on Thursday 24 October, in the Council Chamber, Portsmouth Guildhall, drivers' representatives are expecting to hear the bad news that their request for further bus lane access has been denied – yet again.
This is despite the successful trial of five bus lanes, lasting over 12 months, culminating in access to those bus lanes being made permanent.
Furthermore, the Licensing Committee has given its unanimous support to private hire vehicles having bus lane access – noting that such access would be strictly limited to Portsmouth licensed PHVs only.
Local Uber driver trade rep, Peter Sutherland, said: “Sources have informed us, ahead of the meeting on the 24th, that the Cabinet Member for Transport, Cllr. Candlish, intends accepting various reports submitted by officers. The reports that we have seen are thin on detail, and have no research data attached.
"On that basis, almost anyone could commit something to paper, and claim it to be factual.”
Mr Sutherland went on to say: “There are over 1,100 Portsmouth licensed private hire vehicles in the city, and an additional 200 hackneys. We all provide the same service, and we have a good relationship with our hackney colleagues.”
"Cllr. Gerald Vernon-Jackson once commented that: 'Taxis and private hire were an important part of the city’s transport infrastructure.'
“If that is the case, and given that private hire carry approximately five times as many Portsmouth fare paying passengers – then why are we not afforded the same treatment?
"Why are we continually denied swifter journey times and shorter routes for our passengers?
"It’s an unacceptable double standard, by any measure, especially when this council is so keen to migrate the citizens of Portsmouth to public transport [of which we are part]. Perhaps if we had “FIRST BUS” logos on our doors, opinions may change.
"What makes all this even harder to swallow is that Cllr. Candlish [when discussing bus lane access] stated at a recent Licensing Consultative Group Meeting [attended by the trade, licensing officers and Councillors] that he, 'expected good news within a few weeks'. Not everything we wanted, but probably a minimum of 10 bus lanes, perhaps more.
"As recently as 23 September, at a Licensing Committee Meeting, Cllr. Vernon-Jackson told myself and my colleague, Mr Tamas Bodolai, when I expressed my concern about the officer’s report, that 'the Chair intended to override it, and that we shouldn’t worry'.
"Now my sources tell me the opposite is true. I hope I’m wrong. I hope the Cabinet Member looks favourably upon our request. I certainly hope it’s not a case of Councillors telling one thing to our faces, and another behind our backs. That would be quite distasteful.”
Local private hire drivers are becoming increasingly frustrated. Licensing fees always rise. The cost of licensing in Portsmouth is higher, and with greater demands, than any other local authority.
A continued migration of licensed vehicles is becoming inevitable, with the associated loss of revenue to a licensing office already running at a deficit. There are already 196 licensed Uber vehicles on Havant B.C., mainly Portsmouth based drivers.
Southampton and Brighton allow access to their bus lanes to ANY private hire vehicle, subject to registering on their database.
In Portsmouth, non-local hackneys can use local bus lanes, just not local licence fee paying private hires!
It is understood that Chair of Licensing, Cllr. Emily Strudwick, will make a deputation at the forthcoming meeting in support of the PHV drivers request, as will drivers’ representative, Mr Sutherland.
Interestingly, the former Chair of Licensing, Mr Scott Payter-Harris, is also listed to make a deputation in support of the drivers request for bus lane access.
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