Thousands of motorcyclists have rallied behind a petition calling for Labour to reverse its decision to maintain the ban on motorcycles accessing bus lanes.
The petition, which has garnered nearly 10,000 signatures, demands that motorcycles be allowed in bus lanes by default across the UK.
It follows the Department for Transport ruling in November last year which decided to maintain the status quo, where local authorities retain control over which vehicles can use bus lanes in their areas.
The Government's stance comes despite overwhelming public support for change, with consultation responses showing most respondents in favour of allowing motorcycle access.
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The petition has gathered nearly 10,000 signatures on allowing motorcycles to enter bus lanes
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Currently, only cyclists can use bus lanes with drivers slapped with a £160 penalty for unauthorised usage, although this can be reduced to £80 if paid early.
The DfT’s consultation on allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes by default ran from March to July 2024, examining two potential options. Local authorities can choose whether to permit motorcycles in bus lanes by adding appropriate signage and updating traffic regulation orders.
Former Transport Minister Mark Harper had championed the proposal as part of efforts to reduce congestion and improve journey times.
Under the current system, permissions can change frequently at borough boundaries, creating confusion for motorcyclists navigating urban areas.
But the petition launched this year by Colin Brown stated: "We call on the Government to reverse its decision on the motorcycles in bus lanes consultation published November 21, 2024, and make the national default that motorcycles are allowed in bus lanes unless the local authority decides otherwise."
Supporters argued that "large amounts of real-world evidence prove the policy is safe" with over 55 local authorities already allowing motorcycle access to approximately half of the nation's bus lanes by length.
Once the petition hits 10,000 signatures, it will receive a Government response and if it makes it to 100,000 it will be considered for parliamentary debate.
The consultation received an impressive 14,327 responses, with 14,107 from individuals and 46 from key stakeholder organisations.
An overwhelming majority of individual respondents (13,885 out of 14,089) agreed with the statement: "If it is safe to do so, motorcycles should be allowed to access bus lanes by default." Most respondents cited improved safety for motorcyclists, reduced congestion, and making motorcycling more convenient as key benefits.
But local authorities were more cautious, with only five out of 22 supporting default access, highlighting the divide between public opinion and official positions.
In response to the consultation, the DfT said: "DfT has considered the responses and is grateful for the feedback received.
"The safety benefits of allowing motorcycles into bus lanes are not clear at this time. Where data is available, the evidence varies. The response rate to this consultation, from local authorities and stakeholder organisations, was low and did not provide a robust evidence base on which to amend the current policy."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Local authorities are able to decide whether motorcycles can ride in a bus lane PAThe petition will run until August 28 with drivers urged to respond to it beforehand.
