Motorbikes in bus lanes

Here’s a classically dodgy statistic of the sort we can expect from the devious anti-cycling spin doctors of Transport for London:

A survey of road users found that 93 per cent of motorcyclists and 51 per cent of cyclists and car and van drivers aware of the trial supported it.

Shoving in the opinions of cyclists with the opinions of car and van drivers is fraudulent. I don’t doubt that the majority of car and van drivers would like to see motorbikes out of their way and using bus lanes. And I don’t doubt that the majority of cyclists were against it. Putting the opinions of these two very different road user groups together is a scam. Nor are we told what the sampling basis was. How many cyclists? How many car drivers? How many van drivers? Without that information it’s a meaningless statistic.

A controversial trial that has permitted motorcycles to use bus lanes in London has not caused an increase in cyclists accidents or deaths – despite fears to the contrary, according to TfL.

The flaw here is that assuming a cycling-friendly environment can be measured by road casualty figures. Such figures are a poor index of danger and exposure to risk, and most people won’t cycle on roads they perceive as dangerous, irrespective of the statistics.

Cyclists shouldn’t have to share space with buses, let alone buses and motorcyclists. Cyclists need their own segregated infrastructure, created out of road space currently devoted to car parking and car dependency.

Footnote

An interesting Comment on the Evening Standard report on this story:

Paul Humphreys, Essex

I cycle from Limehouse to Holborn using the Commercial road every rush hour. The Bus Lanes have become high speed race tracks for motorbikes and Scooters. Traffic lights have become the start line for races.Often cyclists cannot use the Green Advanced Junction boxes (which are for Cyclists ONLY)because they are full of motorbikes revving there engines ready for the race! I myself have been clipped by motorbikes who dont care whether they overtake or undertake other road users.