Government ditches motorcycle bus lane access

The Government has announced that, following a consultation, it will not change policy, meaning that universal access for motorcycles to UK bus lanes will not become the default position.

This means that decisions on bus lane access for motorcycles will remain with local authorities.

The DfT’s decision has been met with anger and dismay by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and National Motorcyclists Council (NMC). NMC’s Craig Carey Clinch described the decision as ‘extremely concerning’, while MCIA’s Tony Campbell says it is ‘shocking and disappointing’.

The DfT says the safety benefits of allowing motorcycles into bus lanes ‘are not clear’, adding that ‘where data is available, the evidence varies’.

It goes on to describe the response rate to the consultation by local authorities as ‘low’ and as such ‘did not provide a robust evidence base to amend current policy’.