Cycle group: Don’t encourage motorcycling

A cycle group has criticised a trial of motorcycles in bus lanes on the grounds it could lead to an increase in motorcycle traffic. 

The London Cycling Campaign (LCC) says it ‘is concerned that the impact of this extra motor traffic will be on the whole road network, not just on the bus lane sections of the journeys’.

The group takes no account of the likelihood that some people encouraged to motorcycle would otherwise be driving cars.

In a statement on its website LCC attacks London’s transport authority for going ahead with the scheme because: ‘It appears that a major reason for the trial is to allow more motorcycles to make quicker journeys in London.’

The group says Transport for London’s (TfL’s) intention is ‘to facilitate the safe, efficient and effective movement of motorcyclists, without undue impact on other traffic, particularly bus journey times and trip reliability’.

The group adds: ‘The environmental impact is likely to mean more noise, more air pollution, a deterioration of public space, and increased risk for pedestrians and cyclists.’

MCN put it to an LCC spokesman that encouraging motorcycling could benefit the environment by reducing car traffic but he refused to comment.

The group has campaigned to end the 18-month trial since the day it began on January 5.

When a recent TfL study showed collisions between motorcycles and cycles fell 40% in the trial’s first four months, LCC’s website failed to report it for weeks, then did so without mentioning the drop in crashes.

Its new claims are a late addition to its report on the study.

• Find them here