To report to the Sub-Committee the receipt of a petition requesting that the Council allow private hire vehicle access to the Kings Road (outbound) bus lane and the Duke Street bus gate to access London Street.

The Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the receipt of a petition, asking the Council to allow private hire vehicles access to the Kings Road outbound bus lane and the Duke Street Bus gate to access London Street.

The petition contained 187 indications of support and read as follows:

“Application for usage of the Bus Lane (KINGS ROAD, READING - OUTBOUND) and (DUKE STREET TO ACCESS LONDON STREET, INBOUND/OUTBOUND) READING.

I am writing this to request kindly the usage of the following bus lanes as stated above. I myself and likewise most of the PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS in Reading have been driving Private Hire for many years.

Over the years the traffic situation in Reading has got from bad to worse. Day by day it is making our job very difficult and challenging. Especially in the Peak times the roads are so busy that we often get very late in dropping our passengers to their designated destinations.

On several occasions taking a V.I.P client to the airport in the mornings/afternoons we always get stranded on the A329 KINGS ROAD OUTBOUND. If we were granted access to use this bus lane it would help us in a logistical way, as you have been very kind to grant us the inbound usage of the same bus lane with barely any complaints of abusive use. As the same goes for the Duke Street bus lane access to London Street inbound/outbound, when we are trying to escort passengers to their destinations, it would be a major help, saving a great amount of time, meeting our customers’ demands and needs and most of all reducing the amount of congestion and pollution.”

At the invitation of the Chair the petition organiser, Kamran Saddiq, addressed the Sub-Committee on behalf of the petitioners.  Mr Saddiq informed the Sub-Committee that he had carried out research into trial periods other Councils had been running allowing private hire vehicles to use bus lanes and the Sub-Committee asked that the results of the research be sent to officers so that it could be included when the request set out in the petition was considered.

Resolved –

(1)     That the report be noted;

(2)     That officers consider the request in the context of wider transport and climate strategies and their recommendations be submitted to a future meeting;

(3)     That the lead petitioner be informed of the decisions of the Sub-Committee, following publication of the agreed minutes of the meeting;

(4)     That no public inquiry be held into the proposals.

(Councillor Ayub declared an interest in the above item on the grounds that he owned a hackney carriage.  He left the room and took no part in the discussion or decision making.)