CHRISTMAS TRAFFIC BEDLAM: London’s roadworks bring taxi trade and capital to a crawl
Updated: Dec 16, 2024
Taxi drivers working this festive season are battling some of the most severe traffic conditions ever witnessed in London, according to industry representatives.
Major roadworks on Euston Road, Marylebone Road, Gray’s Inn Road, and Kings Cross Road are creating bottlenecks, leaving cabbies stranded with few, if any, viable alternative routes.
The impact of these disruptions is amplified by unexpected closures and changes to road layouts elsewhere in the capital. Reports from across London suggest that key areas are effectively paralysed, causing significant delays for both drivers and passengers.
A Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) spokesperson said in TAXI Newspaper: “Cabbies working this Christmas are experiencing some of the worst traffic conditions ever encountered in the capital.”
Criticism has been levelled at both Transport for London (TfL) and local boroughs for what many describe as poor planning and a lack of coordination. The LTDA claims that the absence of robust contingency measures is pushing London’s road network to breaking point, with the effects rippling far beyond the taxi trade.
As frustrations grow, there is increasing pressure on transport planners to address the situation. The LTDA is calling for an urgent review of roadworks management and the introduction of effective measures to prevent gridlock during inevitable infrastructure works.
The LTDA spokesperson added: “With roadworks on the Euston and Marylebone Roads matched with works on Gray’s Inn Road and Kings Cross Road, drivers are left sitting in traffic with no alternative route open to them. This is exacerbated by random closures and road layout changes elsewhere all meaning that some areas of London are grinding to a halt.
“On social media and in WhatsApp groups across the capital, taxi drivers are reporting long delays, with some describing journeys taking outrageous amounts of time such as an hour to go down Park Lane or access problems at Euston station with customers reporting waiting over an hour for a cab.
“Poor planning by highways authorities and a lack of joined up thinking by TfL and the Boroughs is wreaking havoc on London’s road network. The taxi trade and many others are calling on transport planners to urgently sort out this mess and ensure that where works are unavoidable, more robust and effective contingency plans are put in place to prevent gridlock.”
