London taxi driver shares ‘ridiculous situation’ as woman asks cabbies on rank if they will travel through Bishopsgate bus gate
- Perry Richardson
- Jun 27
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 6
A London taxi driver has flagged what he called a “ridiculous situation” faced by cabbies, after a woman was seen at Liverpool Street Station walking the taxi rank asking drivers if they were willing to break traffic rules by going through the Bishopsgate bus gate.
The passenger’s plea was to cut the journey time and go through the restricted section. This exchange between passengers and drivers spotlights the pressure cabbies are under when operating near Bishopsgate, one of the capital’s key transport corridors. During the weekday hours of 7am to 7pm, taxis are banned from entering the bus gate, a measure introduced by Transport for London (TfL) to boost bus and cyclist flow in the area.
Black cab drivers have long criticised the restriction, claiming it extends journey times and inflates fares unnecessarily. The issue is especially acute for passengers with mobility issues, who find themselves dropped further from their destination as taxis are forced to take alternative routes.
Drivers also face heightened enforcement. TfL has increased monitoring and issued more fines in response to non-compliance, further fuelling tensions. Many cabbies argue they are being treated unfairly and that they should be allowed the same access as buses.
Legal challenges have been made, including a high-profile judicial review that reached the Court of Appeal. The court sided with TfL, but the ruling has done little to restore confidence among taxi drivers, who believe their role in the capital is being steadily marginalised.
For now, the situation remains unresolved, with drivers caught between regulation and customer expectation—on one of the City’s busiest routes.
