On 5 Jan, 16:48, "Mizter T" wrote:
John Rowland wrote:
Seems dangerous and unneccessary to me. I've never driven a motorbike, but
their ability to overtake all stationary traffic means they effectively
carry their own bus lane with them anyway. Putting them in bus lanes will
encourage them to do 60mph, skidding into the side of all the idiot car
drivers who pull out of side roads ignoring what is in the bus lane and
what speed it is doing. A bus lane is a very dangerous place to be unless
you are driving a heavy vehicle such as a bus, London-style taxi or HGV.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7811062.stm

Technically speaking it is an 18 month trial - actually, being specific, it
is an "experimental traffic order" which "must remain in place for a minimum
of six months and a maximum of 18 months" - here is the relevant TfL
webpage, which in turn links to a fairly comprehensive PDF of questions and
answers:http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/fine...ons/10151.aspx

Here is a special page about the scheme on the BikeSafe-London website,
which includes a code of practice for motorcyclists and makes clear that an
increase in accidents during this trial period may lead to the withdrawal of
this privilege:http://www.bikesafe-london.co.uk/buslaneriding.html

It should also be noted that this change only applies to bus lanes on red
routes, because they are the only roads that TfL has direct control over -
the others are the responsibility of the Boroughs.

I am a cyclist, and I too am not and have never been a motorcyclist though
friends are and I've ridden pillion with them many times. I cycle in London
regularly, though perhaps not as much as I should and as I have in the past.
I am going to take the perhaps somewhat unorthodox position from a cyclist's
stance of having an open mind on this one.

I had to look up the London Cycling Campaign to try to work out what
the objections actually were from the point of view of cyclists. They
don't seem to give any; the petition asks for the trial not to be made
permanent, but doesn't say why.

(When I am a cyclist, the only problem I've had with motorbikes is
that in traffic jams they often stand in front of a gap that I could
have gone through.)

The main risk I can see is to motorcyclists from other motor
vehicles. One road I cycle along quite a lot is Evelyn Street, and
the only really scary bit is when I am heading northeast past the
turning with Grinstead Road. This is a rather wide side street and
one feels very exposed. Evelyn street is usually a solid traffic jam,
and quite often someone will flash through a car that's turning right
into Grinstead Road from the opposite direction, straight across the
bus lane. They wouldn't go if they could see a bus coming, but they
don't bother about cyclists. I pretty much stop just in case.

I wonder if motorcyclists would be at even greater risk if travelling
at their natural speed adjacent to a traffic jam.