Can motorcycles use bus lanes?

[Louis101993]

I've done alot of reading and research into this and there no clear answer anywhere! Every leads to a different conclusion, so I thought I'd ask here where people would surely know.

Thanks, Louis.
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[chris-red]

Yes and no.


It depends where you are and what the sign posts say.
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[RichieZX6R]

I would stay out of bus lanes but use the ones that read no car lane.
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[MinhDinh]

In London, they are all signed with a motorcycle or not. My friend got done for 4 or 5 tickets on the same road... just becareful.
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Hit the G spot.

[Louis101993]

I think it's stupid and so misleading, they should stop fucking about and either make them usable everywhere and anywhere or not at all, I reckon it causes alot of confusion between many people...
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[MinhDinh]

[Teflon-Mike]

The answer is 'No'... bikes AREN'T allowed to use bus lanes.......

However.... they do, and it's been a MAG campaign to change the law, so that they can.

Meanwhile..... it's permissible 'by exception' in some areas, where they have been 'testing' the principle...... there are a LOT of exceptions.... but they are random....

So, unless you are SURE...... stay out of them.

Lots of places now, have bus-lane cameras, like red light cameras, and speed cameras! So yet another 'hazard' for us to contend with in an area of uncertainty.
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[AmirasDaddy]

You can do it on allot of roads in Belfast, however it is restricted to a certain time (i.e early in the morning or late at night) Always see a load of cagers who don't give a toss and drive in it anyway.

Brian

[RichieZX6R]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Why not just scrap the bus lanes altogether

All the best

Keith
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[RichieZX6R]

[MinhDinh]

[Kris]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Numbers using buses are not that large (even in London), and it is known that many bus lanes cause congestion to tail back far enough to obstruct the buses before they even reach the bus lane.

Doesn't help when some bus lanes appear to be in place purely to delay cars rather than to actually help buses.

All the best

Keith
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[MinhDinh]

Well, none of you are taking my bus lanes away! You got that!

The big roads with buslanes are useful for me when I commute. Filtering slows me down a little, but buslanes allow me to be at a decet speed. Cyclists don't affect me either.

As for them slowing down buses, that is true, but it would also slow down other vehicles too then.

As for causing traffic to back log to a point it stops buses, yes I agree, but very rarely IMO. Well maybe in central London. Rush hour is bad on most major roads here, and I would still imagine that cyclists and cars will slow down buses too much and the benefit of two lanes won't cause the flow to be better.
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Hit the G spot.

[bootsbiker]

[deltron]

Just keep your eyes open for the motorbike symbol,in my local town alot of the bus lanes are open to motos.

[multijoy]

TFL bus lanes (red routes) are currently open to bikes as part of an ongoing experiment.

Everywhere else in London it's on a borough-by-borough basis.

Camden will stitch you up the first chance they get, Hammersmith don't seem t give a monkey's.

Wandsworth have opened the lanes up, as have Kingston.
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[Pete.]

Most of the red routes - yes

Most of the yellow ones - no

If there's a motorbike on the sign at the start of a stretch of bus lane you can use it - no motorbike, you can't. Not very confusing at all really. If you're not sure - keep out.
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[weasley]

Reading is one of the foward-thinking, progressive councils that has allowed bikes into bus lanes.

Except they do it randomly and without apparent reason, so not all are allowed so you have to be even MORE alert and on your guard when choosing a lane to use.

I wrote to them about it - they said they take each one on a case-by-case basis looking at safety blah blah. I don't see why any bus lane is more or less safe than another for a bike, when cyclists can use them all.
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[bootsbiker]

[iooi]

[temeluchus]

Depends where you are.

Bristol city council allow bikes in all bus and some cycle lanes.

Liverpool also allow motorcyclists to use the bus lanes.

Birmingham has some bus lanes marked up ok for bikes.
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[G]

As far as I know, everywhere that does allow them has them signed up, so I really don't see the problem .

Not really ambiguous at all.

If there's a picture of a motorbike when you look at the sign, you are allowed in, otherwise you are not.

You've been able to use 99% of bus lanes in Reading for a long time now - I found it very useful, especially the contraflow lane, which cuts out a big lump of congestion.