Reading private taxis could use bus lane in change

Reading Borough Council has begun a consultation into allowing private hire taxi drivers to use the outbound bus lane in King’s Road.

The road is a main eastern route taking drivers and passengers from the town centre to East Reading, Woodley and the A329(M), itself an access point for the M4.

Currently, the outbound bus lane can be used by buses, motorbikes, pushbikes and hackney carriages a.k.a ‘black cab’ taxi drivers.

But a proposed change would allow private hire taxi drivers to use this bus lane as well.

The outbound bus lane in Kings Road, Reading. Private taxi drivers had proposed to be allowed to use the bus lane for a six month trial period. Credit: Google Maps

A representative of private hire taxi drivers has said drivers and customers have been pushing for the change for years.

Kamran Saddiq, the chairman of the Reading Private Hire Association, said:  “Lots of our customers have filled in the survey.

“It’s stressful when you’re late when you get stuck on the King’s Road.

“We take people to the hospital and the airports, and our customers see out-of-town drivers use that lane while we are stuck in traffic.

“It can take about 15-20 minutes to get onto the motorway [A329(M) and M4].

“Some of our customers have had to change booking times because of the traffic.

“It only takes one little incident on Kings Road, London Road or the A329 to back up the traffic and have an effect on Kings Road.

“We have spoken to our customers but they didn’t need any encouragement to fill in the survey.

“They have been waiting for this opportunity for their voices finally to be heard.

Members of the Reading Private Hire Association Malik Mahfooz Ahmed, Saeed Iqbal, Kamran Saddiq, Aqeel Kayani, Salman Kayani and Sikandar Hayat. Credit: Reading Private Hire Association

“When we found out about the survey, we forwarded it to friends, family members and customers, everybody has been accepting of it.

“The changes need to be made and should be made for private hire drivers.”

READ MORE: Progress made on private hire driver push to get access to bus lanes 

There is also a proposal to change the bus lane in Kings Road on the way to traffic lights at Watlington Street, opposite the Verto apartments and the Back of Beyond pub.

Currently, this lane is reserved for buses, motorbikes, bikes and wheelchair accessible taxis only.

A change would allow hackney carriage drivers to use this lane as well.

You can take part in the consultation by filling in a survey on the Consult Reading website.

Questions and queries can be emailed to highway.objections@reading.gov.uk .

The consultation closes on Thursday, November 30.

The consultation is taking place after negotiations between the council’s highways team and the Reading Private Hire Association.

Mr Saddiq has argued that private hire drivers have been using the inbound bus lane in Kings Road without issue after being allowed access for over a decade.