Allowing this will aid the council in their endeavour to improve air quality in the city. Motorcycles pollute far less than other forms of transport and by allowing the use of the bus lanes, it sends a clear message that SCC are serious about air quality. It will also encourage people to ride and not drive through the city, which can only be a good thing for the congestion issues.
This ePetition ran from 20/10/2018 to 26/04/2019 and has now finished.
193 people signed this ePetition.
Historically the Department for Transport recommended that motorcycles should not normally be permitted to use bus lanes. While this position may have softened and motorcycles can be included as a permitted class of vehicle on the signs without special authorisation, it would not be a simple case of amending the signs. Bus lanes are intended to make public transport a more attractive option by reducing the impact of traffic congestion and allowing them to operate efficiently. Every additional class of vehicles that is permitted to use bus lanes reduces their effectiveness. A full investigation into the potential benefits and drawbacks with a focus on road safety and potential delays to buses etc. would probably have to be carried out before any city wide decision could be taken. There would also be traffic order changes required which would have to go through the full legal and public consultation process.