October 2008: Keep motorbikes out of TLRN bus lanes

Dear Boris

This is a bizarre idea from a man who both cycles to work and who wants to improve road safety in London!

Motorcyclists are by far the most dangerous road users, killing themselves and others as they go in far greater numbers than any other road user. Motor cycles are involved in a far higher proportion of injury crashes to cyclists and pedestrians than are other vehicles, per distance travelled. On or off the bus lane they pose an unacceptable threat to other vulnerable road users.

Increasing road capacity for motor cycles will attract more of them. The impact of this increase must be judged across the whole of London's road network, not only on the bus lanes.

Here are the facts:

· Motorbikes are about 1.5 as likely as cars to be involved in collisions which cause serious injury to cyclists, twice as likely to be involved in causing them serious injuries and about three times as likely to be involved in killing them;

· For pedestrian injuries, motorbikes compare even more unfavourably; per mile travelled they are about 3.8 times as likely as cars to be involved in slightly or serious injuring pedestrians, and over 4 times as likely to be involved in killing them.

· Sources: CTC, National Travel Survey, Road Casualties Great Britain

Boris, please think again!

Best regards

Richard Evans

Merton Cycling Campaign