AFTER a reportedly ‘positive’ meeting with Transport Minister Richard Holden, the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has confirmed a few of the points discussed with one of the people in charge of transport legislation.
One handy point that has come from the discussions was that Mr Holden is a ‘fan’ of motorcyclists being able to ride in bus lanes. While that is a bonus that many of us enjoy, it’s not a given in all areas, with the jurisdiction falling to the local authority as to whether bikes are allowed to use them or not. Given that Mr Holden is backing the use of bus lanes by bikers, and the fact that their doing so helps to ease congestion elsewhere on the road network, a more clear-cut policy on their use could be something that gets discussed in parliament soon.
Simple rule change could have a massive effect on motorcycling
As it stands, many bus lanes across the UK are open for use, although the right to use them can change from one piece of road to the next, or be limited to certain times of the day. This means that bikers have to have their wits about them when riding about, especially in larger cities and places that they have not ridden around before. With CCTV cameras lining the streets ready to pick up on any infringement (and issue a fixed penalty notice if upheld), a more clear-cut and consistent policy can only be a good thing.
Other items raised by the NMC during the meeting were the need for change to the legislation around the CBT course, and Mr Holden’s wish to build a Motorcycle Strategy Group, to help the Department for Transport implement positive changes for all motorcyclists.
