Potential nightmare looming for taxi drivers as Tower Hamlets look to restrict access to the Wapping

In what can only be described as another potential nightmare for the London taxi industry, Tower Hamlets Council is the latest local authority to run a consultation on what has already been described on social media as a "hare-brained" scheme in looking to close the Wapping loop to all vehicles except buses and cycles.

Tower Hamlets council have said that Wapping is currently being reviewed to provide a safer road environment for the local community, pedestrians and cyclists, with the review being in response to residents’ concerns about rat-running and the problems it causes in local streets, such as noise and air pollution, and safety concerns. 

There will also be a series of other proposals for traffic adjustmenta in Wapping, including changes to  junction layouts, improvements to pedestrian safety, and steps to reduce bad driving behaviour. Tower Hamlets council have announced that this will come later in the year in their Love Your Neighbourhood project.

Other areas in Wapping may also be part of future consultation and public realm improvement schemes. 

However there are concerns that the consultation may be fatally flawed after it was discovered that there are a significant number of response options to some of the questions which are "recommended" by Tower Hamlets Council, and therefore leading the survey applicant. 

Tower Hamlets council are asking for feedback on the proposals pertaining to the location of a bus gate restriction on Wapping High Street, with the  survey closing on Monday 8 April 2019.