New clause 15 - MOTORCYCLES IN BUS LANES
Road Safety Bill
4:45 pm
Mr Christopher Chope (Shadow Minister, Environment and Transport; Christchurch, Conservative)
Well, certainly the two who were at that event. It would probably depend on the way the pendulum swings, so I take my hon. Friend's point. However, I am grateful for their support because in the Minister's peroration on the last debate, he said that, in road safety terms, he could not concede on this. Yet in road safety terms he must allow the new clause to go through. There is overwhelming evidence that allowing motorised two-wheelers to use bus lanes improves road safety. That is the clear finding of the Transport for London survey, which shows that there has been about a 20 per cent. reduction in accidents, despite an increase in the use of bus lanes when motor cycles have been allowed to use them.
I will say no more about the matter, as the case for doing what I suggest is overwhelming. There needs to be a national standard. Otherwise, it is very confusing if we leave it to each local authority—or within London, to each borough—to decide for itself. The local authorities in Colchester and Peterborough have already done what I suggest, and people are thinking of doing it in Essex. If it is a good thing in some areas, why not in all areas? Surely, in the name of road safety, we should now make it a national standard.