Immediate PCNs to hit cabbies using Paddington Praed Street ‘pop-up’ taxi rank as zero-tolerance enforcement looks set
- Perry Richardson
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Taxi drivers continuing to use Praed Street as an unofficial rank face immediate Penalty Charge Notices under tougher enforcement agreed between Westminster City Council and Transport for London.
Paul Kirby, Executive Senior Officer at the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), said authorities have been actively monitoring the location for some time due to what they describe as the “abuse” of the street as a temporary rank. The site, close to Paddington Station, has become a regular place for waiting drivers responding to passengers exiting the station onto Praed Street.
Kirby said he attended a recent meeting with both the council and TfL where officials presented extensive photographic evidence. The material showed taxis ranking at both ends of the cycle wands, on double yellow lines and zigzag markings, with some drivers attempting to position vehicles within the protected wands. According to Kirby, the evidence also demonstrated disruption to buses, which were reportedly unable to complete the turn from Eastbourne Terrace.
The enforcement shift follows complaints from local councillors, nearby residents and the Hilton Hotel. Authorities have indicated that the scale and frequency of concerns now require a firmer response.
Westminster City Council and TfL will issue instant penalty charge notices to taxi drivers ranking unlawfully on Praed Street following mounting complaints and photographic evidence
Under the revised approach, civil enforcement officers will no longer allow a grace period before issuing a ticket. PCNs will be issued immediately to any vehicle found unlawfully waiting, and notices may be sent by post even if the driver leaves the location before the ticket is physically served. Kirby said drivers receiving a PCN or a TfL compliance complaint linked to the site should not expect challenges to be accepted.
Persistent non-compliance could also attract scrutiny under TfL’s licensing regime, which assesses driver conduct and road safety obligations.
Kirby urged drivers not to rank at the location and instead to use the official taxi rank within the station. He also called on drivers to use both lanes of the authorised rank to reduce knock-on congestion, warning that queuing on the Harrow Road roundabout is creating additional traffic pressure in an area already under close observation by enforcement teams.
