The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has welcomed a new government consultation on motorcyclists’ access to bus lanes. The riders’ rights group, along with its member organisations, has been working to encourage a default position on the rules across England (the regulations are devolved in Scotland, Wales and NI), to replace the current ‘patchwork’ of laws. And now the Department for Transport has issued an online consultation on the situation.
In an introduction to the consultation, transport minister Guy Opperman MP said: “Motorcycles are an important but sometimes overlooked mode of transport, not just by drivers who fail to spot bikers, but occasionally by government too. Their size and nature make them a dynamic and affordable option for road users, and with that it’s only right that our roads become as dynamic as those using them.”
According to the NMC, the new consultation expands on a recent DfT advice leaflet on motorcycles and bus lanes, which says: ‘Wherever it is appropriate, local councils should allow motorcyclists to use bus lanes’. Recent leaflet aside, the DfT has been generally neutral on the issue, leaving it to local authorities to decide on access. And it’s this which has led to different rules around the country, with some local authority areas allowing access, and others not.
The situation is even more confusing in London, where TfL-controlled roads allow access, but many boroughs do not, leaving riders unsure about where they can and cannot use bus lanes.
The consultation, which is open until 9 June, sets out the options and can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/motorcycles-in-bus-lanes/motorcycles-in-bus-lanes.
NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch, said, “The consultation is extremely welcome and marks an opportunity to finally bring clarity to the issue and certainty to riders regarding where they can and can’t use bus lanes. The first access schemes go back to the early 1990s and experience with allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes since then has not revealed any notable downsides nationally in terms of safety, conflict with buses or with other bus lane users, with the positives outweighing any perceived downsides. Indeed, a Transport for London survey undertaken before TfL-controlled bus lanes opened to motorcycles in the late 2000s revealed high support among cyclists.
“The benefits to motorcyclists are clear, which includes reduced rider vulnerability and improved journey times. The benefits to public authorities are also clear regarding reduced congestion potential and fewer conflicts on routes where motorcycles have to mix with general traffic. This common-sense measure is good for road safety and urban mobility. We encourage all to support default access when responding to the consultation.”