A government consultation into a blanket ruling on letting motorcycles use bus lanes is reported to have received more than 11,000 responses.
If pushed through in parliament, it would mean that bikers across the country would be able to ride in bus lanes just like cyclists (and in many cases) taxis can. Currently, it sits with the local authority as to whether or not to allow powered two-wheelers (PTWs) to share bus lanes with other authorised traffic.
In some cases, the ability to ride in bus lanes can be confusing, with certain lanes allowing it and others not - even within the same local authority area. This causes problems for bikers, who could be riding in a bus lane completely legally one minute, only to turn a corner and find themselves at risk of a fine from a traffic camera or officer.
That’s a situation that the DfT wants to change, and it sowed the seeds of this in January 2024, when it issued advice to local authorities on the ways it could improve bus lane use for motorcyclists. The government now seems to take this one step further, and asking all road users to take part in a consultation on the matter over on the Gov.uk website.
The consultation opened on March 17 and closes at 11:59 pm on 9 June 2024, so there is still plenty of time to take part. You can either participate using the online form on the webpage, by emailing in your responses, or by posting them to the address advised.
The consultation description on the website reads:
"Local authorities can choose whether to allow other vehicles, including motorcycles, to use bus lanes on their networks. This consultation seeks views on allowing motorcycles to access bus lanes by default, as is the case for pedal cycles. Consulting on this was a commitment in the Plan for Drivers, published in October 2023."
To take part in the consultation, head to the webpage below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/motorcycles-in-bus-lanes
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