TFL Bus Lane Consultation

Hey All,

The 18 month research extension should be over pretty soon... does
anyone have a date, or know when we should know for sure if we
can/can't use bus lanes?

Newbie CBTer is hoping that when he gets his DAS (and through the
Roadcraft book!), by paying attention and a bit of luck, this might
lower his chances of getting knocked over in London.

Raj

 

FWIW I regularly misinterpret the bicycle's that are painted on the roads of
Glasgows bus lanes to be that of motorcycles. Never had any complaints yet,
and that'll be my excuse if I ever get caught. Misinterpretation. Not sure
if it will hold up though. Im assuming that like Glasgow, Busses can go up
roads where other vehicles can;t, and therfor using a bus lane, does in fact
get you where you want to be a lot quicker, does away with a bit of
congestion/frustrated drivers at us "apperaing up the side of their car from
nowhere" when approaching lights, and as its quicker, causes less pollution.
I am not talking about the lanes that are on the sides of all the roads BTW,
Im talking about bus lanes where busses can go, for example straight ahead
when everyone else has to turn left or right, LOL.

Do any other councils, like South lanarkshire where I live, welcome bikes so
much that they have dedicated bays, complete with poles and helmet stands in
ALL their public car-parks, and allow bikes to park free? Glasgow don't,
however they do have bays, many without poles etc. that are marked
"Motorcycles". While I'm at it, do every morrisons have "Motorcycle" bays,
right next to the entrance to their stores? Hamilton's does, however Cages
regularly park in it, so I generally abandon my bike behind the offending
vehicles so they can;t get out, generally resulting in a tannoy announcment!
Livens up the trip to buy thing a lot!

Andy

 

On Mon, 01 May 2006 23:22:17 GMT, the infinite monkeys with infinite
typewriters employed by "Andrew Scott"
<> spewed forth:

Bristol does (without the poles and helmet stands). They also let
bikes use all the bus lanes.

 

Do any other councils, like South lanarkshire where I live, welcome bikes so

Nottingham does not - got clocked on the A52 a couple of years ago
using the bus lane (got £40 + £35 costs).

 

Paris doesn't either. Mind you, no one give a shit over here.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, abd08 belched forth and ejected the following:

Riding in London is the best single thing you can do to sharpen your
survival skills and get 10 years' worth of moments compressed into about
3 months!

 

Whinging Courier wrote

True, very true. They would be different roads if we could and did all
use the bus lanes though. A lot more scoots for a start.

 

LMAO. Must try it sometime...
If its anything like Glasgow its a CBTer's worst bloody nightmare. Riding
down an innocent looking one-way street only to get to the end of it and
find a sign saying M8 East and M8 West with absolutley no bloody other way
to go...

Andy

 

Hmm. I ride a fair amount and like to kid myself that I'm adequate[1]

However, I fucking *hate* riding in London. It's slow, slow, slow and
my bikes are always getting hot as I'm stuck in traffic with no ability
to filter. I used to ride to an office on the Strand a couple of times
a month; I've given this up now and simply drive to a convenient train
station and take a train then tube. It is probably just as easy.

If I think back to when I lived in London (1984) it was a lot fucking
easier to get around than it is now. Mind you, if I lived there now I'd
get a supermoto and not a touring bike.




[1] Footnote for d.

 

Reminds me of this bit on the A12 going into London (Green Man
Roundabout?) where you (rightly) think you're following the A12 and then
it looks like you're getting onto a motorway because there's a big sign
that says "NO MOTORCYCLES UNDER 50cc".
Someone here will know the one I mean.

 

Plenty of roads like it around. I ended up on the M74 a few times (I
incorrectly called this the M8 previously) and had to come off at the first
junction. Glasgow is a fucking nightmare for roads like that. One minute
your'e on a quiet sidestreet with a newsagent, the next youve got 6-lanes of
'74 in front of you.

Andy

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, belched forth and ejected the following:

I don't particularly like riding in London either. It's slow as you say
but you also get conditioned to ride slow. I'm a big girl's blouse and a
cack-handed piss artist when it comes to corners on proper roads. That
is until I start getting the hang of it by which time it's time to go
back again[1].

I'd have two or three bikes, which is what I've got. One for popping
down the shops on, one for going a bit further with a few fast bits
inbetween and another one for going out on and having fun away from the
God damned place.

[1] I know I whinge about how crap it is living in London but if I was
going to move, and it does feel like it's time to move on, it'd be the
state of play regarding the amount and flow of traffic, air pollution
and general standard of poor driving.

I, of course, am the epitome of good standards and road behasviour, I
was merely pointing it out to emphesise a point.

 

AONT-dingly-L

Paris not so much. London seems to be more agressive for city riding,
IMO.