FARAH LONDON: Further access restrictions to taxis in the Square Mile would be ‘absolute insanity’

Image credit: Farah London

Business entrepreneur and political figure, Farah London, has urged the Lord Mayor and the City of London Corporation to make the Square Mile accessible to black cabs once again.

In a scathing open letter addressed to the Lord Mayor, Alderman William Anthony Bowater Russell, she highlights her concerns around plans to further close Bank Junction to traffic. The 2021 independent London Mayoral Candidate said the closures could lead to business closures and force firms to relocate to other parts of London that remain accessible and attractive.

Farah London said in her letter: “Unless reasonably free flow of vehicles through the junction is allowed again, there will be mass disruption to businesses, workers, residents and visitors, and most importantly a long-term negative effect on the City of London trade and future."

London goes on to add: “Certainly, the pandemic has had a detrimental effect on the City, but to further restrict accessibility would be absolute insanity.

“Future pedestrianisation of Bank junction would be a 'nail in the coffin' to many City for businesses. They need footfall from other parts of London. They need a lifeline - not to be pushed under.

“Unless supported offices will relocate out of the city due to the closure of the Bank Junction. Already, accessibility for clients to visit has caused inconvenience. It has led to meetings being scheduled outside the City of London. Business is after all, the main reason why visitors come to the City of London. Our essence is commerce rather than the strolling, sitting and resting emphasised by the ‘All Change at Bank Project Team’ in their call for comments.

“We are not Amsterdam. We do not have a mass-cycling culture. Policies to create one are putting pubciole before practicality.”

In the open letter, the London Mayoral candidate detailed her own experiences of the restrictions currently operating in the Square Mile. London said: “I live in Tower Hill and ordered a black cab to the Ned for a particularly important meeting, this should have taken a journey time of 5 minutes in total, however due to the closures, the driver was required to take a longer route through to St Paul's Cathedral and then back up again.

“The journey took a total of 26 minutes - costing me much more in fare and made me embarrassingly late. Not only did this journey cause more air pollution, due to the longer journey, I lost the fullest value of a meeting. I am just one example of thousands of individuals who have experienced the same.”

In early April the City of London launched its new ‘All Change at Bank’ project, which aims to close further roads around Bank Junction and the Square Mile.

The All Change at Bank project follows the controversial ‘Bank on Safety’ scheme made permanent in September 2018, which restricted wheelchair accessible black cabs and other traffic through Bank Junction.

The All Change at Bank project is said to be aligned with the programme for Transport for London (TfL) to increase passenger capacity at Bank Station, which is due to complete by the end of 2022.

A consultation has now been launched by the City of London Corporation (COLC) which includes two questions of special interest to users who rely on London’s taxis to move around the city.

In questions 21 and 22 of the survey, COLC asks for feedback about the mix of traffic using the junction, along with a question asking what vehicles should be added to the mix, including an option for licensed taxis.