Over 200 Taxi Drivers Bring London To A Halt In Protest Of Olympic Lanes

More than 200 taxi drivers have "brought central London to a halt" in a protest at the Olympic Games lanes, according to David Millward of the London TELEGRAPH. London's iconic black cabs are being excluded from the 30 miles of Games lanes, dubbed "Zil lanes," which have been reserved for Olympic competitors, sponsors and officials. The ban will go into effect on Wednesday next week with drivers facing a £130 ($203) fine for any transgression. A number of cab drivers have said that they will "leave London during the Games rather than put up with the frustration of navigating" the capital's traffic. United Cabbies group union's Jonathan Myers said, "Taxis are excluded, which is unacceptable and wrong. This is a working city and we need to get around and do our job." London Taxi and Private Hire Dir John Mason defended the arrangement. Mason: "We have worked tirelessly with groups that represent the majority of hard working taxi drivers to provide cabbies with as much access to the lanes as possible" (TELEGRAPH, 7/17).