 Bus lanes- Come on Boris!
Bus lanes- Come on Boris!
Come on Boris, you've 'fallen at the first' and really cocked this one up. Of course cyclists are going to come up with a load of spurious arguments to try and keep us out of bus lanes inspite of evidence which you have in your possesion, that proves that all the more vulnerable road users; cylists, pedestrians and ptw riders will be safer. Cyclists think they have the moral high ground when it comes to riding into London because they don't need to burn petrol and jealously try and guard their bus lane access emotionally rather than on facts.
You promised that powered two wheelers would be able to use bus lanes and you must now honour this committment. Apart from the very basic thing of being honest and keeping promises, it's the only way to prove that a lot of people will be a lot a safer on the roads.
The problem for me on a motorcycle in not being able to use most bus lanes, is that I'm frequently forced to ride on the wrong part of the road, this is particularly the case on right hand bends. I have twice managed to avoid head on crashes; once riding East bound past the Oval Cricket ground and once when riding West bound on the Old Kent Road near the Elephant and Castle, when a vehicle has driven on the wrong side of the road to get around stationary traffic.
Had I been able to use the bus lane on both these roads, I would have been well over to the left of the road with maximum view of the road ahead and would not have been in conflict with any oncoming vehicle, even one driving on the wrong side of the central white line.
If you are not sure what I mean then ask a police motorcyclist, as many of them train people like me on BikeSafe courses and will bear out what I'm saying.