New Clause 10
Road Safety Bill [Lords]
9:45 pm
Stephen Ladyman (Minister of State, Department for Transport; South Thanet, Labour)
The hon. Member for North Shropshire alluded to the fact that he and I were at a meeting of the all-party group on motorcycling yesterday. I made it clear, and reiterate for the record, that I have seen no evidence that there is any negative safety impact of motor cycles using bus lanes. Indeed, I see positive benefits to it, because as part of our national motor cycling strategy we want to make motor cycling mainstream. We see it as one way in which we can help to relieve congestion and improve social mobility, as long as we can do so while maintaining the safety of motor cyclists and other road users. Motor cycles using bus lanes would contribute to that.
Motor cycles should not be able to use every bus lane in the country, as the new clause would require them to do. I draw the line at that. I suspect that there will be some bus lanes that, because of their construction and the way in which they are commonly used in their local environment, will not be suitable for motor cycles and therefore need to be restricted to buses. Those lanes will be exceptional cases in one or two places where the local authority has a good reason not to want motor cycles in a bus lane. However, in 99 per cent. of cases I do not see any disadvantage in a motor cycle using a bus lane. Local authorities have the power to allow that to happen. It is entirely at their discretion.
I shall go on to explain how we have reached a situation whereby most bus lanes exclude motor cyclists. I want the Committee to realise that I believe that most bus lanes are suitable for the use of motor cycles.