There has been plenty of disappointment with the new Labour government’s performance in a number of mainstream policy areas, and that’s also becoming true for the motorcycle world, where the ramifications of the Department for Transport’s decision not to allow motorcycles into bus lanes by default continue to reverberate. The fact that the government wouldn’t go along with what is, in reality, a very small concession to motorcycling points to a larger problem: the lack of any real interest in the sector from Westminster.
This was underlined by new information picked up by the MCIA (Motor Cycle Industry Association) via a parliamentary question in the House of Lords. Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick asked fellow Labour peer and transport minister Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill if there were any plans for new research into the safety or other benefits of allowing motorcycles into bus lanes. Lord Hendy replied that there were no plans to research the safety impacts. That seems to put an end to the matter – the original position was that there wasn’t enough research to allow the change, and, with no research planned, that is presumably that. Yet another Catch-22 situation from the Department for Transport.
MCIA CEO Tony Campbell said: “I am incredibly disappointed that the government has confirmed it will not research whether default bus lane access for motorcycles would save lives for vulnerable road users.
“If the government’s reasoning for not supporting bus lane access is a lack of safety evidence, conducting further research should be a priority – not an excuse to dismiss a potentially beneficial policy.
“We welcome the DfT’s plans for a new Road Safety Strategy. However, there is a risk it will not be worth the paper it’s written on if the government refuses to research proposals that could improve safety for vulnerable road users. This decision not only shows a disregard for the safety of powered light vehicle users but also contradicts the government’s stated goals for decarbonisation and future mobility.
“I urge the government to partner with our industry. You have a willing partner in the MCIA to improve safety and help achieve our shared goals.”