Transport for London’s (TFL) appeal against the High Court judgement describing capital’s Streetpace Plan as “unlawful” will starts its journey on 15 June.
This appeal is regarding High Court’s judgment on 21 January ruling out the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TFL) acted completely unlawful which affects licensed taxis in the Streetspace for London Plan and associated Guidance and A10 Bishopsgate Traffic Order.
This landmark judgment followed a judicial review mounted by taxi trade bodies, United Trade Action Group (UTAG) and the Licensed Taxi Driver’s Association (LTDA). The court in its order said, Streetspace Plan, Interim Guidance to Boroughs and A10 Bishopsgate Traffic Order to be ended. However, TFL handed the right to appeal the decision according to the trade source.
During the social media interaction, United Trade Action Group (UTAG) spokesperson said, “Ladies and Gentlemen. We now have a court date for TfL’s appeal regarding the Bishopsgate Bus Gate. The court date is 15th June and we will be defending our High Court win in the most robust way allowed. We will not allow this to go undefended. Support UTAG as always.”
During the judgment heard at the High Court’s Planning Court on 25 and 26 November 2020, Senior High Court Judge, Mrs. Justice Lang DBE was quite apprehensive towards Claimant Taxi trade bodies, UTAG and LTDA.
Original Case Round up
The original case went on to four of the five grounds on behalf of the taxi trade:
- In the Streetspace Plan and subsequent Guidance, the Mayor and TFL respectively failed to distinguish the special status of taxis from “general traffic”.
- The Mayor and TFL failed to carry proper regard to their Public Sector Equality Duties under section 149 of the Equalities Act 2010.
- The treatment of taxis in the Plan, Guidance and the Order and the decisions to exclude them were ‘seriously flawed’ and “irrational”
Steve McNamara, LTDA General Secretary, said in a recent TAXI Newspaper: “It is important to remember that the Mayor and TfL haven’t won anything here, they are just being allowed to appeal. It will now be down to them to make their case, which they didn’t do very well last time. Plus, we still have a strong case of our own. The Judge has asked that proceedings are expedited in view of the important issues at hand, but they said that last time, and it still took months to actually make it to court.
Since I heard the Judge’s order, I have had Winston Churchill’s voice playing in my head. I want to assure you that we will continue to fight TFL and the Mayor’s efforts to overturn this important verdict and any other damaging schemes, with everything we’ve got. We will fight them on the bus-only corridors, we will fight them on the banned turns, and we will fight them on the road closures.”