Bikers gain entry to the bus lanes

[RedStormV]

MOTORCYCLISTS will be allowed in bus lanes from Monday 5th January but the move has created safety fears.

For the next 18 months, motorbikes will be allowed to share most red route bus lanes with buses, cyclists and taxis in the capital. If the trial is successful, Mayor Boris Johnson will make it a permanent feature.

Cycling groups have been campaigning against the move, arguing that it will put them at risk.

To date, 4,000 people have signed a petition and on Monday representatives from the London Cycling Campaign will be handing out leaflets to cyclists in Hyde Park warning them of the new rules.

A three-year study concluded that when motorcyclists used the bus lanes in Brixton Road and Finchley Road, the number of collisions fell by 42 per cent.

But cyclists have questioned the results after former mayor Ken Livingstone dismissed the study, saying it was misleading.

A code of practice, which has been approved by Transport for London and the Metropolitan Police, has been compiled by the motorcycle industry for the safe use of bus lanes by motorcyclists.

Mr Johnson said: "The new code of practice shows that motorcyclists are taking the privilege seriously."

But Koy Thomson, LCC's chief executive, said: "Putting motorbikes in bus lanes will not reduce motor traffic. The Mayor has set this up as a trial and it is vital that it is properly monitored and evaluated."


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... xpand=true

From today (5th January) motorcycles have been granted access to main route bus lanes in London.


The adoption of this policy allows riders to see and be seen by other road users, as well as helping motorcycles to improve on their already excellent congestion-busting advantages.


The initiative was an election promise by London Mayor Boris Johnson and comes more than ten years after bikes were first allowed to use bus lanes in the city of Bristol following a successful campaign by local MAG members.


MAG General Secretary, Nich Brown said today “the adoption of this policy in the capital city has been a long time coming but its benefits should soon become apparent. The experience of other UK cities as well as previous experiments in London shows that where motorcycles are allowed to use clear road space in congested traffic there are fewer crashes.”


1. Motorcycle riders are being urged to follow a simple code of practice designed to protect everyone in and around bus lanes.

2. We share bus lanes with other vulnerable road users, take extra care around them.

3. Be aware of pedestrians walking through traffic queues and at bus stops.

4. Look out for pedal cycles and give them a wide berth, they may suddenly change direction or position.

5. Pass cyclists on the offside only – never undertake.

6. Always assume cyclists cannot hear or see you behind them.

7. Do not use excessive speed when using bus lanes or overtaking cyclists.

8. Do not overtake each other.

9. Watch out for other vehicles at junctions and side roads.

10. Take extra care when riding alongside congested pavement areas.

We are ambassadors for motorcycling, riding in a bus lane is a privilege that needs to be respected.


But MAG has highlighted the need for other road users to play their part in road safety. “Urban collisions involving motorcycles are generally not caused by the rider” said Nich Brown “typically a rider will be travelling with right of way when another driver crosses their path at a junction, or a cyclist rides off the pavement into the road or a pedestrian steps out in to the road”. In these circumstances, riders in bus lanes will be more likely to be seen and MAG believes this means collisions will decrease.


The new rules allow access to those bus lanes on the main routes controlled by Transport for London. Some London Boroughs have also moved to open up bus lanes on local roads so that the benefits can be more widely enjoyed, other Boroughs’ failure to open access to their bus lanes may well cause unnecessary confusion as road users will have to check which bus lanes are still closed to bikes after today.

http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-forme ... 364389.htm

[Stratman]

6. Always assume cyclists cannot hear or see you behind them.

They'll hear most Stormers!

[tony.mon]

Just paid my fine, having read it properly I now know it's RED ROUTES ONLY

Even checked that the TFL map covered the road with the bus lane in it!

Ah well...£60 off my tarting the Storm up budget.

Wife laughed like a drain.

Nice to bring a bit of pleasure into someone's life, I feel.

[Pete.L]

You lot should come to Bristol
I've been in the Bus lanes for the last ten years with out a ticket

Pete.l

[METALDAN]

assume most cyclist can't hear or see you behind them?

assumation is the mother of all wombles ups



and please tell me i'm wrong, and i await the sh1t storm, but MAG are about as impotent as the united nations,have we had a single approach from the single biggest biking organisation in the country?

i subscribed to the hype, i played ball with the ban spills campaign, the only chance we ever had was Lembit Opek, so no chance at all then really.

the simple fact is you need to get out there on your own, ( or with your mates if that floats your boat) and beware of the diesel spillages, beware of the centre of the lane covered in gravel from the councils "watering down" their grit salt, beware of draconian plod, and of myopic daewoo drivers (and ford orion drivers in my case), and stop griping. because at the end of the day, when your on yur own at 6am on a saturday morning, on empty roads, and all you've got is your bike who cares?