Executive meeting on Tuesday, 7 July 2026

Written representation in relation to agenda item 10, Bus Priority in York City Centre: The Rougier Route

Dear Executive Members,

On behalf of Streamline Taxis (York) Ltd, we wish to place our formal objections on record regarding the proposed Rougier Street Bus Priority Scheme.

Streamline was the only representative from York’s taxi trade, both Private Hire and Hackney Carriage, to attend the steering group meetings.  We raised detailed concerns about the impact on the private hire sector, particularly our vital Home to School and SEND transport services.  These concerns were reinforced in subsequent meetings and through written submissions, including information provided on the likely financial implications.  Despite this engagement, the Executive report does not appear to reflect the evidence we supplied.

The report concludes that the impact on SEND transport will be limited to journey time increases of around one to two minutes based on a single route across the city.  We strongly dispute this assessment.  Our vehicles transport children from all areas of York using multiple routes every day, and the real impact is likely to be considerably greater than suggested.

As we plan routes for the new academic year, we will no longer to be able to rely on the shortest routes.  Instead, we may be forced to use longer routes via the outer ring road and A64 to minimise delays.  This will increase contract costs to the Council, and we will provide evidence of these additional costs once route planning is complete.

The report also gives special consideration to Hackney Carriages while overlooking the role of licensed Private Hire operators.  Streamline provides transport for many of York’s major hotels, with numerous daily journeys between the city centre and York Station.  Journeys that currently cost around £5 could more than double because of the proposed diversions.  This will inevitably generate complaints from businesses, visitors and residents alike.

We also reject the suggestion that private hire operators should rely on Blue Badge exemptions.  This is impractical, administratively burdensome and unworkable for the transport of SEND passengers.  A far simpler and fairer solution would be to permit access for licensed York Private Hire vehicles, just as provision is proposed for Hackney Carriages.

Finally, we are concerned that the proposal unfairly restricts licensed Private Hire vehicles from serving businesses and passengers in affected areas, creating an unequal system that disadvantages one licensed sector over another.

We respectfully ask the Executive to reconsider this proposal, engage meaningfully with the licensed private hire trade, and adopt a solution that supports public transport without unfairly penalising the essential transport services we provide to York’s residents, businesses and vulnerable communities.

Many thanks,

Mark Goldsborough

Director Streamline Taxis (York) Ltd