Finally getting some results   tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/motorcycles-in-bus-lanes-fi...report.pdf   Conclusion:   "Overall, just over half of Londoners support the idea of motorcyclists using red route bus lanes (54% support it compared with 18% oppose).   There is a minority of other road users who have a negative response to the use of bus lanes by motorcycles.   However, nine in ten motorcyclists and over half of users of buses, bicycles and cars/vans say they support motorcycles using bus lanes."   Even the CTC might struggle to put a negative slant on that                                                                                                                                                                             

surely this will spoil 'all the fun' of filtering,                                                                                                                                                                                

Personally I want to share as little road as possible with buses.  They're lethal and bus drivers are gormless.                                                                                                                                                                             

Maybe they are, but no more gormless than the rest of the boy racers, old blind drivers, day dreaming school run chelsea tractors and of course the cyclist, if the red route bus lane contains none or as little of the above in a busy city like london then all the better for us as bikers to use..........

Problem is, they've squeezed bus lanes onto existing roads, that weren't designed for them. So all the lanes are narrower and, in places, it's almost impossible to filter.   tbh, I'd rather they got rid of the bus lanes altogether, but letting us filter down them hurts no one, whatever the bigotted idiots at the CTC claim.                                                                                                                                                                             

if the buses are in there lanes at least we know where they are, i wouldnt want to share with a buses as they have so many blind spots !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                              

Blind spot??

Who'd be so cruel to poke a puppy in the eye?                                                                                                                                                                             

Interesting to see the report that states that a cyclist was killed by a motorcyclist in London so the cycling lobby is steaming about motorcycles in bus lanes! (funny not ha ha but the fatal collision was not in a bus lane!!!!) More than likely caused by over crowded "other" lanes????

Have never understood why CTC are so vehemently anti bikes in  bus lanes.   I can see they have concerns, but afaik there's no evidence to support any irrational fears they may have.   As an occassional cyclist, I have a lot more to fear from a bus, than a m/cycle !                                                                                                                                                                             

Cyclist don't pay jack to be there but once you mutilate one or two they grow balls and start demanding sh*te......these are the same cyclist that ride through red lights mount and dismount pavements at will and weave around in traffic like they are possessed,  and then say we (BIKERS) are unsafe......to**ers.

And as far as bus lanes in general and all this white lining  scrap the lot they are a waste of money because most roads cant handle bus lanes and spend the cash on covering iron work in the road with none-slip material to help our safety in wet weather..
  

Stop giving priority to any one type of vehicle. The best form of transport will survive, by natural selection.     The fact that a motorcycle is easily the best commuter, by a country mile, has nothing whatsovere to do with that statement                                                                                                                                                                             

i dont like the idea of using bus lanes not so much because of the buses they no diffrent to the rest of the trafic  but its the thought that youll be passing down the left hand side of other road users and they have difficulty in seeing us in there right hand mirrors as it is                                                                                                                                                                              

good point wn...geoff...lets keep to the thread, as a mod you should know that !!!!lol                                                                                                                                                                             

  tbh, I've been using bus lanes for years. Rather than treat them as an empty lane, I use them for filtering, at a filtering type speed. You're right folk don't always see you, but then I don't expect them to, and ride accordingly. That's standard practice, not exclusive to bus lanes.                                                                                                                                                                               

The worse cases are the pillock wanting to turn left into a bus lane to filter along 200+ yards because he/she wants the next left and won't wait till they are nearer the junction and the same innept drivers who want to turn left accross the bus lane and do not look properly for a smaller item than a default coach. But in all I'd still rather be in a Bus lane rather than mixed in with all the rest! (even though my bike was mangled in a bus lane I was using correctly) It was a stupid car driver who never  even looked down the bus lane before pulling accross into the outside lane morning rush hour in Hull.

I'm surprised that some contributors are not more positive about bus lane access. There are potential disadvantages but the more bikes that use them, the more other road users will expect to see them. I used to be a frequent user of the A41 Edgeware Road in London which had been part of the original bus lane trial and found it a great advantage and safe provided you used some common sense. There is more to it, though, than just the practical aspects. Access to bus lanes indicates that local authorities are recognising powered two-wheelers as a legitimate mode of transport and are making provision for them.

A lot of motorcycling group representatives (BMF, MAG, MCI, etc) have spent considerable time and effort on securing bus lane access in the face of irrational and aggressive opposition from representatives of cycling groups. It's they who have always proven to be the biggest problem and if you think the CTC is a pain, you should meet the London Cycling Campaign. It was always BMF policy not to attack other user groups but, when I was lobbying, I gave up trying to co-operate with them and generally mentioned their failure to stop at traffic lights, their propensity to mount pavements and the fact that normal cyclists were not represented by them. The report has demonstrated that this is the case. We also campaigned for access to advance stop lines with similar opposition from cycling group 'representatives'.

One of the things that always irritated me from rank and file motorcyclists who were not members or inactive members of the riders' groups was moaning that we should campaign for something else since the bus lane campaigning somehow diluted those efforts. This was never the case with bus lanes and advanced stop lines being part of an integrated call for inclusion in transport policy. Free and useable parking was always at the top of the agenda for those who think that was neglected. So come on let's show some appreciation for the fact that the bus lane trial has been a success. All we need is for it to be made permanent and for other local authorities to adopt it.

Perhaps this should have been a random rant.

I'm with Cat on this one.  I think it's excellent news personally on a number of accounts, the main one being recognition of a very important form of transport by a major local government.  I say very important because I believe that the motorcycle offers an ideal compromise for busy commuting routes over five miles.
 
I use the "High Occupancy Vehicle" lane north west of Leeds centre every morning to get into work and I find it far quicker than trying to filter down the other lane.  I also find it safer because being out well to the left in a fairly clear lane I have far better visibility and this offers me a much better view of what is going on ahead, be that other motorists turning on or off the road or frustrated drivers queuing in the standard lane.

An interesting twist to this is that many years ago, back when the HOV lane was first being proposed, I worked in Leeds highways and long before I lived on its route, it was little ol' me who fought and won at committee level for bikes to be allowed in the lane.

You're welcome lol.

I have however always used bus lanes as a safe means of filtering and have never had an issue with buses.  Yes, buses have many blind spots and sometimes the skills of the driver leave a lot to be desired, but being generally very large, slow moving, noisy things I can usually spot buses from a good way off and can keep my distance.

For me therefore, I'd much rather share my road space with one or two buses than with fifty or sixty cars being driven by numpties focused on nothing other than getting to work as soon as possible.                                                                                                                                                                             

Be carefull around brent, regaurding bus lanes,  I got stung for 60 quid, some lanes ya can some u cant. brent and cricklewood are a no no ,also big holes in the roads, is it me or what ,no one seems to be fillin the things in.just take care amigos, mick.

Lambeth is the same as Brent - some lanes open and some not - you just have to keep checking the detail plates.  I use lanes when ever and wherever I can - just quicker and keeps me moving.  Yes there are numpties, but that's allover.   Need a laugh - last week on A130 heading to work - speed camera van in lay by as is not unusual these days.  Car smacked into side of camera van which was more unusual!.  3 plod-mobiles and 2 fire units sorting the resultant mess out.  Now obviously I wish the poor sod all the best and I hope s/he is fine but I have to admit I wet my self laughing too.  Just another example of cages only seeing what's coming up at the last moment.                                                                                                                                                                             

Most bus lanes in Sheffield are just signposted for bus/taxi/cycle but all are open to motorbikes, dead handy cos roads are jammed most of time.   Bit of a bugger when cars use 'em for undertaking tho, I think we should be allowed to exterminate!