Edinburgh roads: Bus lanes will remain out of bounds for private hire vehicles
A bid to allow private hire cars to use Edinburgh's bus lanes on a trial basis has been defeated at the city's transport committee.
But there is to be an individual review of all existing and proposed "bus gates" - or traffic filters - over whether to allow access to both private hire vehicles and black cabs.
Bus operators had expressed concern at the prospect of more vehicles being able to drive in bus lanes and how it could affect journey times.
But private hire drivers claimed current rules which barred them from bus lanes while allowing black cabs was "discrimination by badge".
A written submission from the Scottish Private Hire Association said private hire vehicles were “essential to Edinburgh’s transport network” and voiced their “deep concern and frustration” at being excluded from bus lanes.
And another submission from the GMB union, which represents many private hire drivers, argued many disabled passengers found private hire vehicles (PHVs) easier to use than black taxis.
It claimed: "By excluding PHVs from bus lanes and bus gates, many passengers with disabilities are forced to walk longer distances—often in unsafe or poorly lit conditions—to reach their pre-booked vehicles."
But Edinburgh Bus Users Group said: "The purpose of bus lanes is to speed up journeys for buses and passengers, and improve reliability. Adding more vehicles negates this benefit by causing delays and reducing bus reliability."
It said research showed journey times was one of the main factors which led to declining bus use.
And cycle campaign Spokes said introducing more vehicles into bus lanes made them less safe for cyclists and busier for buses - "the exact opposite" of what they were intended to do.
Tory group leader Iain Whyte proposed allowing PHVs to use bus lanes on a trial basis, saying app-based travel meant there had been a big increase in the use of private hire cars. "We have to be fair across the board," he said.
But Lib Dem transport spokesman Kevin Lang said: "I think it's inevitable that if we allow a significant number of new vehicles to come into a bus lane it will have significant impact."
And committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said he felt strongly about making bus lanes as effective as possible.
However, he said: "I do feel the way the city currently moves and plans to move in the future, the issue of traffic filters is something that should be looked at on a case by case basis."
He accepted a Green amendment that the bus gate review should only be carried out following a review which is currently under way by the council's licensing department on a possible cap on PHV numbers.