Special Treatment

[Jan&tone]

If you don't take the Mail on Sunday, have a look at the link attached....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030918/Traffic-lights-turn-green-Olympic-chiefs-ordinary-drivers-forced-bus-lanes.html

Absolutely disgusting! What right have these people to take precedence over those that have actually paid for thse games?

IMO they should have to use the tubes, Buses and be subject to the normal traffic laws as the rest of us... Ie, NO jumping red lights, No forcing us to illegally use bus lanes etc.... Did the general public actually realise what they signed up for when they supported our application for the olympics? Did they realise that Athens and Sydney are still paying for their big shows?

[balli hi]

Mate, the whole thing is going to be a logistical nightmare, and if my understanding is correct, the Olympic lanes will be operative for 100 days in total, that means for 100 days before during and after the games have finished

Like almost everyone else when the games were awarded to London i was really pleased, i thought that it would give our economy a much needed boost and from a personal view point a much needed boost to the London cab trade that has seen a substantial downturn since the recession started in 2008, but to our horror we have been told that London Licensed Taxis are to be excluded from the Olympic lanes and should we stray into those lanes we will be fined £200 for each and every contravention, London's roads will become the biggest car park ever known during the 100 day exclusion period, i can't see how i and my colleagues will be able to ply our trade when we will be sat in horrendous grid lock along with everyone else, no one will want to hire us, and when you look at the Olympic route i can't see how i'm going to get in to London in the first place anyway, as i drive in from the east using the A13, docklands, city airport, canary wharf etc, TFL have potentially put me out of work during the exclusion period :ffs:.

And yes we will still be paying for the games long after they have finished, i had the opportunity to speak with a Parisian businessman a short while ago during a journey in my cab, he told me that Paris's roads became crippled when they held the games some years ago, business's suffered as a result, and they were still paying for the cost of the games for months after they had finished.

Am i looking forward to the games now ?, like :censor: am i.

[Jan&tone]

Bali, i wholeheartedly agree mate! I wouldn't mind betting that if you tried to book a holiday anywhere except London during olympic weeks you wouldn't be able to!

As you say, getting to work in London will be a real pain, look what happened in South London the other week with a 'test' event... And the ridiculous restrictions in Hadleigh for the mountain bike tester...

The whole affair is a farce. :ffs:

[korat102]

I have a horrible feeling this is going to turn out to be a huge white elephant and a major embarrassment.

To be fair though, they couldn't be expected to use the tube, that would merely result in endless strikes for more money by the most arrogant overpaid manual workers in the country.

One of the best days in my life was a decade ago when I managed to get away from London. It might be a good place to visit but as a place to work every day, it's a hellhole.

[Jan&tone]

To be fair though, they couldn't be expected to use the tube, that would merely result in endless strikes for more money by the most arrogant overpaid manual workers in the country.

Lol, why not? Everyone else has to!!

[korat102]

I forgot the smiley :)

[balli hi]

To be fair though, they couldn't be expected to use the tube, that would merely result in endless strikes for more money by the most arrogant overpaid manual workers in the country.

Lol, why not? Everyone else has to!!

If people think the tubes are hot and overcrowded now, just wait until the Olympic lanes come into force, they'll probably have to employ staff like they do in Japan and China that ram everyone in until they are clear of the doors and the doors can close, no wonder we are already being told to avoid traveling into London altogether, to work from home if you can, or if you can't then you should either walk to work or if you absolutely have to, then cycle in, they also suggest we take our holidays while the games are on.

One of the main winners out of the Olympics i am led to understand is Addison Lee ( one of London's private hire companies ) who have been awarded the contract to transport the Olympians and dignitaries to and from the games using the Olympic lanes, whilst London's so called Icon is prohibited from doing so, i thought we were supposed to be an integral part of London's transport system :ffs: but clearly not :censor: only when it suits TFL

[Jan&tone]

Saw in the paper there are rumours of London cabbies blockading the bus lanes so that people have to use the Olympic lanes...

[balli hi]

Saw in the paper there are rumours of London cabbies blockading the bus lanes so that people have to use the Olympic lanes...

A blockade was planned the last i heard, in protest of being excluded from the Olympic lanes and Addison Lee being allowed, but have not seen the details as of yet or do not know when it will take place, the date and details were to be announced in our trade paper 'TAXI' but i suppose we'll know nearer the Olympics, one thing you can be assured of though, there will be a huge turn out with the trade showing a united front, something we've not always been able to display, but will on this occasion for what is tantamount to a 'Restriction of Trade'.

[Jan&tone]

Saw in the paper there are rumours of London cabbies blockading the bus lanes so that people have to use the Olympic lanes...

A blockade was planned the last i heard, in protest of being excluded from the Olympic lanes and Addison Lee being allowed, but have not seen the details as of yet or do not know when it will take place, the date and details were to be announced in our trade paper 'TAXI' but i suppose we'll know nearer the Olympics, one thing you can be assured of though, there will be a huge turn out with the trade showing a united front, something we've not always been able to display, but will on this occasion for what is tantamount to a 'Restriction of Trade'.

Good luck to you if it comes off... I think the whole thin stinks!

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