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ELUSIVE ACCESS TO BUS LANES IN LONDON
 Well the long awaited results of bikes in bus lanes trials was a long time coming and not without some pushing from MAG, BMF, the motorcycle industry and others through the London Motorcycle Working Group.
However, the results presented at a seminar in September with Transport for London have left us all somewhat frustrated.
Transport for London agreed to the trial use of three of their bus lanes from October 2002. These routes are part of the A13 (Commercial Road between Limehouse and North Circular Road) in east London, the A23 (Brixton Road between Stockwell and Brixton) in south London and the A41 (Finchley Road, between Swiss Cottage and Hendon Way) in North London. The trials were intended to last for an initial period of 18 months.
The large amount of data collected in the trials was transposed through an unnecessary complex methodology which churned out a result that was at best neutral and at worst inconclusive.
However in MAG’s opinion the results clearly demonstrate that motorcycle safety has improved on the three trial routes.
In real world terms for riders this means that accidents and injuries cannot be used to prove or disprove that motorcycles should be allowed permanent access to bus lanes and thus to extend that excess to other bus lanes.
Gerard Livett, MAG's Greater London Regional Representative said, 'What we have seen today represents a collision between road safety and political expediency. The safety argument has been blown out of the water, and this now becomes a political and personal transport issue.”
London’s Kingston and Westminster Boroughs, who have allowed access to bus lanes for motorcyclists gave presentations on their own trials, which have had little negative feedback and produced a positive indication of casualty reduction.
Adding further comment Gerard Livett said, “Ordinary motorcyclists are fed up of TfL's prevarication, and MAG believe that TfL should just bite the bullet and follow the example set by other cities throughout the UK and open up all their bus lanes to motorcycles."
However, Transport for London has expressed a commitment to further analyse the study data and it is expected that TfL will have a final report by the end of this year.
A further commitment was made that the London Motorcycle Working Group would evolve towards a centre of excellence for motorcycling to deliver motorcyclists’ concerns on a range of transport debates, and turn those concerns into action.
As you know our position is that there is a role for private motorised transport, not just in London, and that motorcycles have a legitimate role to play in transport systems.
Bill Wiggin tried to introduce a Bill in Parliament that would have seen all bus lanes opened to motorcycles back in November 2004, unfortunately without success.
So, the fight goes on and as mentioned perhaps needs to be taken back into the political arena in London. More details of this will follow in next month’s Network.
However work continues in the background which includes the delivery of the UK’s National Motorcycle Strategy and in particular through the Traffic Management, Planning & Transportation sub group, which is working on a review of the guidance in Local Transport Note 1/97 “Keeping Buses Moving” that recommends that motorcycles should not normally be allowed in bus lanes, to make it less 'negative' to motorcycles and reflect current practice/experience.
In 2004 Communicate Research (http://www.communicateresearch.com) surveyed 204 Mp’s. The sample comprised 105 Labour MPs, 63 Conservative MPs and 36 MPs representing the smaller parties.
Motorcycles in bus lanes
Q. “As a general rule, motorcycles ought to be permitted to use bus lanes.” Do you agree or disagree?
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All
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Lab
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Con
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Other
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|
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%
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%
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%
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%
|
|
Agree strongly
|
8
|
9
|
5
|
8
|
|
Agree
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54
|
59
|
58
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33
|
|
Disagree
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23
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18
|
21
|
42
|
|
Disagree strongly
|
12
|
12
|
11
|
17
|
|
Don’t know
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3
|
3
|
5
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0
|
|
© CommunicateResearch Ltd 2005
Data were weighted to reflect the exact party composition of the House of Commons. Data may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
As mentioned politically we may need to lobby Mps for their opinions.
The cycle lobby, the National Cyclists’ Organisation, CTC have their own stance as users of Bus Lanes which is negative towards motorcycle access.
“It is inappropriate to allow motor cycle access to bus lanes since they are private motorised vehicles which represent a disproportionate threat to cyclists and pedestrians who would otherwise benefit from use of the lane.”
You can view their full position at Here
In 2003 the Cyclists’ Public Affairs Group (CPAG), and the cycle user groups within it – Cycle Campaign Network (CCN), CTC (the national cyclists’ organisation), London Cycling Campaign (LCC) and Sustrans produced a position paper on Powered Two Wheelers (PTWs) (Here) which strongly opposed the use by PTWs of bus lanes or of facilities that are designed to encourage and protect cyclists such as cycle lanes and advance stop lines. They were equally concerned about the policy of exempting PTWs from the Congestion Charge in London.
The biased view of these groups is reflected in the statement, “The reality is that PTWs are fast, dangerous, loud and dirty.”
However we all have to live in the Transport mix using our chosen means of transportation that suit our daily needs. MAG has never claimed any territorial right to use those facilities designed “specifically” for cyclists such as cycle lanes and believes that cyclists should be safely segregated from motorised traffic and pedestrians when it is for the common good of all.
We all suffer from similar issues such as bad road surfaces, man hole covers and other vehicle drivers not seeing us.
The representatives of the different lobby groups could pontificate till they are blue in the face on what should or not be regarding these issues. However at the end of the day when everyday riders and cyclists, who perhaps don’t belong to any groups, get about their journeys safe and sound we have a win win solution.
For the present until we regroup on the issue simply continue to use bus lanes that allow motorcycle access and enjoy the congestion busting capabilities of the motorcycle.
Trevor Baird
Director Of Public Affairs MAG UK
- Motorcycle access to bus lanes include: Bath, Northern Ireland (48 out of 60 Bus Lanes) , Birmingham, Bristol, Colchester, Derby, Reading, Grimsby, Hull, Swindon, Sunderland, M4 bus lane - junction 4 to the elevated section of the M4 near Chiswick, London – 5 trial sites. Motorcycles are granted access to High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes in Leeds and South Gloucestershire. Non-car lane in Moorgate in the City of London, Sheffield, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Doncaster, Essex – Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 to propose county wide access, M1 Junctions 7-10 HOV trial site, Peterborough, Sutton
- MAG overview on Bus Lanes in London word doc 247kb Here
- View Greater London’s Regional web page On Bus Lanes In London Here
Bikes In Bus Lanes - a View from the RAC FOUNDATION
Motorcycles and scooters are making a growing contribution to reducing congestion in city centres, but could be even more popular if motorcycles were allowed into bus lanes, according to the RAC Foundation, in its support of Ride to Work Day (19 July 2006).
Pilot schemes in Bristol, Reading and Derby have shown that there are clear safety benefits to be had from allowing motorcycles to share bus lanes in major cities.** But many other local councils are reluctant to allow bikes into bus lanes without a positive steer from Government.
With the potential for congestion charging schemes in other cities in the near future likely to encourage a further shift to motorcycling, the RAC Foundation is today calling on local authorities to take the initiative and use their discretionary powers to open up their bus lanes to motorcycles and scooters.
Motorcycles avoid getting caught in queues by slipping through the traffic – known as filtering. As a result, riders contribute less to pollution, as they are not sitting with engines idling, and by taking up less space than a car, riders reduce congestion on the roads.
However, many new motorcyclists find filtering intimidating, because some motorists think filtering is illegal: they try to block bikes from passing, increasing the accident risk. Pedestrians often do not look for a moving bike when crossing what they think is a stationery queue of cars, resulting in a collision.
Allowing motorcycles to share bus lanes improves safety by reducing traffic conflict; and because pedestrians are already looking out for buses when they step off the pavement. Analysis of interim reports from London, where three key bus lanes have been opened to motorcyclists on a provisional basis, has shown that accidents fell by 19.5 per cent without increasing the accident rate of other road users.
The last 10 years have seen a massive growth in the ownership of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, with a 36 per cent increase in kilometres travelled in the last 10 years and a 61 per cent increase in the number of motorcycles and scooters on the road. However, the Government’s guidance to local authorities considering whether to allow bikes into their bus lanes hasn’t been updated since 1997, when it was felt that motorcycles and scooters should not normally be allowed to share the bus lane.
Transport Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman accepts that it is time for the guidance to change in the face of this overwhelming evidence. He told the House of Commons on 20 April 2006 that: “I have seen no evidence that there is any negative safety impact of motor cycles using bus lanes” and gave a commitment to update the official guidance later in the year. He also reminded local authorities that they already have power to make this decision for themselves.***
Sheila Rainger, Campaigns Manager of the RAC Foundation said: “It is vital that local authorities should do their part to encourage riding to work by allowing motorcyclists to share their bus lanes. Extending bus lane access more widely would undoubtedly save lives.”
** The 1998 White Paper “A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone” recommended properly monitored bus lane access trials by local authorities. Bristol and Reading were among the first to take this up. Derby council has also evaluated a pilot scheme and has made motorcycle access to two bus lanes in the city permanent.
Edmund King Executive Director RAC Foundation
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