Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today delivered on another of his manifesto pledges by announcing that all licensed taxis, and private hire vehicles with appropriate signage, will now be allowed to stop on London's red route network at night to let passengers safely use cash machines. 

Between 10pm and 6am every night, any passenger who needs to withdraw money to pay for their journey will now be able to ask their driver to stop near an ATM on red routes for a maximum period of five minutes.

This new exemption from red route regulations will be piloted for six months, after which the impact on red routes will be assessed.  Transport for London will then consult with licensed taxi and private hire drivers, their passengers, and local authorities to consider the overall effect and success of the policy.

This exemption does not apply to other motorists who will continue to be liable for penalty charges if they stop on red routes within the hours indicated on roadside signs.

To further improve passenger safety, the Mayor has asked TfL’s Public Carriage Office to consider proposals to improve card payment arrangements in taxis.  Currently, about a third of licensed taxis can accept card payments, but at a premium fare.  Many private hire firms can also set up account arrangements, which might be attractive to passengers who use a firm regularly.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “I made a commitment during my election campaign to cut needless red tape.  I have listened to the concerns raised by taxi and private hire drivers and their passengers about how difficult it can be to stop near a cash point late at night to pay a fare and that’s why I have allowed taxis and private hire vehicles to stop at red routes for this purpose.

“People will be able to withdraw cash late at night to pay their fare, secure in the knowledge that their cab is waiting close by.  TfL will also be encouraging more taxis and private hire firms to accept credit and debit cards to make it easier and safer for passengers to pay their fare.”

"London is a great city, but some aspects of day-to-day life can be unnecessarily tough.  As Mayor I want to make life easier for Londoners, and this is just one of the ways that I will be doing so."

Jeroen Weimar, TfL's Chief Operating Officer for Surface Transport said:
“We’re making these changes on a trial basis to improve passenger safety and make life easier for everyone.  However, we will be monitoring closely to ensure that this exemption for taxi and private hire drivers is not abused and doesn’t cause delays for other night-time traffic in London.

“We continue to expect all drivers to comply with traffic regulations in order to keep London moving.”

If the pilot is successful, TfL will work with London Councils to explore whether such exemptions from stopping restrictions could be extended to local borough roads around the Capital.

http://www.thelondondailynews.com/mayor-makes-late-night-taxi-minicab-journeys-safer-easier-p-901.html