TAXIS and private hire vehicles are set to benefit from the use of the town’s bus lanes.

And the council’s lead member for transport hinted this could pave the way for special lanes to reward drivers who car share.

Swindon Council’s lead member for highways, transport and strategic planning, Coun Peter Greenhalgh, said: “We believe that taxis and licensed hire vehicles are part of our public transport system.

“Like buses they need to work to realistic timetables and, therefore, we believe it’s appropriate for them to be using bus lanes.”

Concerns had been raised in a council report over the effect such changes could have on cyclists and emergency service providers, but Coun Greenhalgh said the effects would be monitored and that he hoped drivers would use their common sense. The issue of opening up the town’s bus lanes was raised at last night’s cabinet meeting and unanimously passed by councillors.

Brian Vann, chairman of the Swindon Taxi Drivers’ Association, welcomed the move, but objected to the inclusion of private hire vehicles and expressed surprise at the cost of the scheme.

He argued that the change would make taxi drivers more efficient benefiting the general public, businessmen in particular, reducing the town’s carbon footprint and bringing Swindon’s transport services in line with other towns.

“This makes it an opportunity not to be passed by,” he said.

Lib Dem group leader Stan Pajak spoke out against the decision, saying it would be dangerous for cyclists and was not the best way forward in encouraging people to leave their cars at home.

Coun Greenhalgh responded by saying that he believed it would be discriminatory to say the scheme was good for taxis but not for private hire vehicles.

He said: “We will be continuously assessing the situation and if I receive complaints from vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, that other road users are not respecting them then I will take that very seriously.”

Coun Greenhalgh added he hoped in the long term to introduce high vehicle occupancy lanes.

He said: “Actually from a traffic management view if you can encourage people to car share then I think there should be some rewards for the people that are making the effort to be different.”

Councillor David Glaholm (Ind, Penhill), who first raised the issue, said he was pleased with the decision, but that the rules would have to be reinforced with marked vehicles and cameras.