Bruce wrote:

Do you have any statistics for the frequency of accidents caused by
taxis making U-turns? Or is it, as I strongly suspect, a problem that
exists only in theory?

Unlike Boltar I don't object to it, but I do suggest that vehicles not
capable of it would be better value for money.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

Bruce wrote:

That would mean that the turning circle at the Savoy Hotel would have
to be declared off-limits for taxis; there is no room to enlarge it.

I don't think the design of taxis throughout London should be predicated on
one particularly exclusive hotel.

Both the Mercedes Taxi and the new Nissan L200-derived Taxi are
approved for London and meet the turning circle requirement.

True.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

On Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:15:54 +0000
Bruce wrote:
Neil Williams wrote:
Recliner wrote:

It's not looking good:

Time for common sense to prevail and for all brands of accessible minibus
to be permitted instead? I am unconvinced of the turning circle argument.


That would mean that the turning circle at the Savoy Hotel would have
to be declared off-limits for taxis; there is no room to enlarge it.

Why would they need to enlarge it? On google streetview there are 2 merc
limos and a 4x4 that seem to have succesfully nagivated it. If they can
manage it I'm sure a taxi can.

B2003

On Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:18:39 +0000
Bruce wrote:
Do you have any statistics for the frequency of accidents caused by
taxis making U-turns? Or is it, as I strongly suspect, a problem that
exists only in theory?

Bad driving by taxi drivers is NOT a problem that exists only in theory.
I saw them doing plenty of idiotic manouvers when I worked in central london.
A lot of them do seem to think that the highway code doesn't apply to them
and that includes doing illegal u-turns.

B2003

Neil Williams wrote:
Bruce wrote:
That would mean that the turning circle at the Savoy Hotel would have
to be declared off-limits for taxis; there is no room to enlarge it.

I don't think the design of taxis throughout London should be predicated on
one particularly exclusive hotel.


I agree. But the tight turning circle is useful across London. It
enables U-turns that could not otherwise be made. A cabbie wouldn't
be keen on picking someone up from the far side of a road if he
couldn't make a U-turn to do so. So punters would end up crossing
busy roads while the cab waited on the other side. I feel pretty sure
that would cause far more accidents.

Bruce wrote:

I agree. But the tight turning circle is useful across London. It
enables U-turns that could not otherwise be made. A cabbie wouldn't
be keen on picking someone up from the far side of a road if he
couldn't make a U-turn to do so. So punters would end up crossing
busy roads while the cab waited on the other side. I feel pretty sure
that would cause far more accidents.

You may well be right, particularly as the taxi can take his time to do a U
turn, while the passenger may run across the road without looking properly,
concerned that the taxi won't wait.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

wrote:

Bad driving by taxi drivers is NOT a problem that exists only in theory.
I saw them doing plenty of idiotic manouvers when I worked in central london.
A lot of them do seem to think that the highway code doesn't apply to them
and that includes doing illegal u-turns.

U turns are only illegal where specified. Quite a lot of people seem to
think they are illegal generally, but they are wrong.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK. Put first name before the at to reply.

On 2 Nov 2012 00:22:39 GMT
Neil Williams wrote:
wrote:

Bad driving by taxi drivers is NOT a problem that exists only in theory.
I saw them doing plenty of idiotic manouvers when I worked in central london.
A lot of them do seem to think that the highway code doesn't apply to them
and that includes doing illegal u-turns.

U turns are only illegal where specified. Quite a lot of people seem to
think they are illegal generally, but they are wrong.

Believe me, if a normal motorist had done some of the u-turns I've seen
cabbies do they'd have been pulled by any nearby traffic plod.

B2003

In uk.transport.london message
om, Thu, 1 Nov 2012 16:15:54, Bruce posted:

That would mean that the turning circle at the Savoy Hotel would have
to be declared off-limits for taxis; there is no room to enlarge it.

You do not recall, then, the arrangement that was used at Christchurch
for reversing trolleybuses in their own length?

See the beginning of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n6qfSHpUNg.

--
(c) John Stockton, nr London, UK. E-mail, see Home Page. Turnpike v6.05.
Website http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - w. FAQish topics, links, acronyms
PAS EXE etc. : http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/programs/ - see in 00index.htm
Dates - miscdate.htm estrdate.htm js-dates.htm pas-time.htm critdate.htm etc.

Dr J R Stockton wrote:
In uk.transport.london message
, Thu, 1 Nov 2012 16:15:54, Bruce posted:

That would mean that the turning circle at the Savoy Hotel would have
to be declared off-limits for taxis; there is no room to enlarge it.

You do not recall, then, the arrangement that was used at Christchurch
for reversing trolleybuses in their own length?

See the beginning of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n6qfSHpUNg.

The same arrangement is used in many small private car parks, particularly
in Japan -- the modern equivalent of an old roundhouse. San Francisco
streetcars also still have manual turntables at some line ends, don't they?