Disabled taxi users hit out against new restrictions on black cab movement
The closure of Princes Street to taxis this week means London’s black cabs are now facing restrictions on three of the six roads feeding into Bank Junction.
People with disabilities and London cab drivers are speaking out against new restrictions on taxi movement around Bank Junction over accessibility concerns.
As of 27th November, only buses and cyclists will be able to access Princes Street – one of the six roads that feed into the financial district’s iconic junction.
The new measure is part of the City of London’s ‘All Change at Bank’ project. The scheme, which began in 2020, aims to make Bank ‘a safer and nicer place to travel through’ by improving cyclist and pedestrian infrastructure and limiting the flow of traffic through the junction.
The restrictions around Bank were introduced following the death of a cyclist at the junction and have since been made permanent.
But disability activists are concerned. Mik Scarlet, a wheelchair user who relies on taxis to get to and from the Square Mile, says the measures are cutting people like him out of the City.
He said: “For people like me, taxis are the only truly accessible means of public transport.
“You can’t find a cab, a cab can’t drop you off – they aren’t going there so basically we don’t go there.
“At a time when they’re promoting the idea that more disabled people should go to work, the irony is that loads of people would love to work in a place like London City, but they can’t because they can’t get there. It’s a big problem.”
The City of London first brought in traffic control restrictions on a trial basis in response to an incident at Bank Junction in 2015 in which a woman was knocked off her bike and killed.
Following the trial, Square Highways voted to introduce the restrictions on a full-time basis.
It has now been eight years since the original trial of the restrictions, which campaigners say are having unintended consequences on accessibility, women’s safety and businesses in the Bank area.
Many disability activists and taxi drivers argue that the current restrictions are discriminatory and say London’s black cabs are part of the capital’s wider public transport network.
Cab driver Jason said: “The City of London have made it clear that we are no longer welcome in the Square Mile. There’s just no incentive for us to come here for work anymore.”
Taxi driver Jason says many of his colleagues now avoid the area because of growing restrictions on cabs.
Common Councillor for Wallbrook Ward James Thomson set up the campaign group Cabs Across Bank. They are calling for black taxis to be granted the same access as buses to help bring taxis back to the area and ease people’s concerns.
James says that despite good intentions behind the measures, there have been several unintended negative consequences on those who live, work and travel around the area.
He said: “Cabs Across Bank was opened up to gather evidence from a range of people and show the significant impact on women, the disabled, the elderly, or those that need it for business use.”
When asked about these comments, the City of London responded: “The City of London Corporation and City of London Police take the issues of accessibility and women’s safety very seriously.
“The improvement works to Bank Junction significantly improve the safety of the tens of thousands of people who travel through this area on a daily basis and enhance the general accessibility and inclusivity of the public realm, providing wider pavements and crossings and safer facilities for people cycling.”
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HeadlineDisabled taxi users hit out against new restrictions on black cab movement
Short HeadlineDisability activists rail against City taxi restrictions
StandfirstThe closure of Princes Street to taxis this week means London’s black cabs are now facing restrictions on three of the six roads feeding into Bank Junction.
People with disabilities and London cab drivers are speaking out against new restrictions on taxi movement around Bank Junction over accessibility concerns.
As of 27th November, only buses and cyclists will be able to access Princes Street – one of the six roads that feed into the financial district’s iconic junction.
The new measure is part of the City of London’s ‘All Change at Bank’ project. The scheme, which began in 2020, aims to make Bank ‘a safer and nicer place to travel through’ by improving cyclist and pedestrian infrastructure and limiting the flow of traffic through the junction.
The restrictions around Bank were introduced following the death of a cyclist at the junction and have since been made permanent.
But disability activists are concerned. Mik Scarlet, a wheelchair user who relies on taxis to get to and from the Square Mile, says the measures are cutting people like him out of the City.
He said: “For people like me, taxis are the only truly accessible means of public transport.
“You can’t find a cab, a cab can’t drop you off – they aren’t going there so basically we don’t go there.
“At a time when they’re promoting the idea that more disabled people should go to work, the irony is that loads of people would love to work in a place like London City, but they can’t because they can’t get there. It’s a big problem.”
The City of London first brought in traffic control restrictions on a trial basis in response to an incident at Bank Junction in 2015 in which a woman was knocked off her bike and killed.
Following the trial, Square Highways voted to introduce the restrictions on a full-time basis.
It has now been eight years since the original trial of the restrictions, which campaigners say are having unintended consequences on accessibility, women’s safety and businesses in the Bank area.
Many disability activists and taxi drivers argue that the current restrictions are discriminatory and say London’s black cabs are part of the capital’s wider public transport network.
Cab driver Jason said: “The City of London have made it clear that we are no longer welcome in the Square Mile. There’s just no incentive for us to come here for work anymore.”
Taxi driver Jason says many of his colleagues now avoid the area because of growing restrictions on cabs.
Common Councillor for Wallbrook Ward James Thomson set up the campaign group Cabs Across Bank. They are calling for black taxis to be granted the same access as buses to help bring taxis back to the area and ease people’s concerns.
James says that despite good intentions behind the measures, there have been several unintended negative consequences on those who live, work and travel around the area.
He said: “Cabs Across Bank was opened up to gather evidence from a range of people and show the significant impact on women, the disabled, the elderly, or those that need it for business use.”
When asked about these comments, the City of London responded: “The City of London Corporation and City of London Police take the issues of accessibility and women’s safety very seriously.
“The improvement works to Bank Junction significantly improve the safety of the tens of thousands of people who travel through this area on a daily basis and enhance the general accessibility and inclusivity of the public realm, providing wider pavements and crossings and safer facilities for people cycling.”
