Emma Rees
PRIVATE hire vehicles could soon be permanently allowed to use bus lanes in Northampton at night, to allow people to get home more quickly after an evening out.
Since December 2005, Northamptonshire County Council has allowed the vehicles access to St Giles Square and Sheep Street between 11pm and 5am as a pilot to see if the scheme worked.
The council will make a decision in the next few weeks on whether to make the scheme permanent.
Secretary of the Private Hire Association, Martin Kean, said drivers wanted it to continue, but with round-the-clock access to the routes rather than just between the stipulated times.
"It will always help the trade," he said. "If you pick up someone from the Black Bottom Club in George Row, from there you can exit the town through Sheep Street or the cut-through where The Old Bank pub is.
"We are not allowed to use that during the day, but in the evenings we can which makes it quicker to get out. We don't have to go down Gold Street or past the Mayorhold car park, which makes the fare cheaper.
"It's an improvement to the trade and for customers, because they don't get charged as much.
"Hackney carriages can use it; why should they be able to and private hire can't?"
A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: "The aim of the project was to enable private hire vehicles to leave the town centre more quickly and directly during peak hours and at times when anti-social behaviour tends to occur.
"The has resulted in the turnaround times of the vehicles being increased and revellers spending less time having to wait.
"The pilot project ends in June and we will be making a decision in the next few weeks about whether to make the project permanent or end it."