Private Hire Drivers Protest Bus Lane Ban

0:00It's March 29th. This is Edinburgh News today, driven by AI. Private higher drivers are hitting the streets Monday morning with a protest right outside city chambers, pushing back against the council's refusal to. Let them use bus lanes like black cabs do. Last November, councillors shot down even a trial run for private higher cars in those lanes, though they're now open to revisiting access at bus gates. This strict no-go policy dates back to the 1990s when the city rode out its greenway system. Bus companies are fired up, warning it would slow their trips since lanes are meant to speed up public transport. Cycle advocates are against it too, citing risks to cyclists sharing space with more vehicles. The private higher scene has exploded lately, thanks to booking apps making rides a tab away, while black cab numbers have dropped from 1,000. 316 in 2018 to 1,090 by September 2025. Meanwhile, the fresh city mobility plan sticks to the old rules barring private higher from

1:03the lanes. About 250 drivers showed up for similar rally last August, so expect some real noise this time around as tensions keep building.