Transport Crucible

Boris gives go-ahead for new bikes in bus lanes trial

Finally I can report what I regard as great news from the Mayor of London regarding the bikes in bus lanes trial, and explain why it’s such good news. As I was told last week during recent talks with the Mayor’s transport advisor, Kulveer Ranger, but sworn to keep under wraps, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has commissioned a new trial to look at the evidence for a permanent bikes in bus lanes ruling.

So, despite his controversial face to face clash with the No To Bike Parking Tax protesters in Trafalgar Square on 2nd June, in which he appeared to be “threatening” bikers, as the BBC and I reported in post below – by saying that motorcycle access to bus lanes would end unless their protest against the Westminster bike parking tax stopped – the mayor has now decided to sanction a new trial of the bikes in bus lanes measure.

The important thing about this decision is this. The results of the most recent 18 month trial, which ends on 5th July, were too mixed and thereby limited to be sure if there is an overall benefit to all road users from allowing motorcycle riders to share use of bus lanes with cyclists and taxis. But now, after extensive analysis by Transport for London (TfL) of results from the latest trial, Boris has announced that a new experimental scheme will start on July 5th July and run for another 18 months in order to gather enough evidence to reach conclusions that TfL and other transport authorities can rely on to make a conclusive decision about whether to make bike access to bus lanes a permanent measure or not.

Basically this is what’s happened and where we are now. An independent report of the most recent 18 month trial, which ends on 4th July, found positive results including that fears of an increase in collisions with cyclists have proved unfounded. However the Mayor has decided some important questions remain; particularly in relation to an increase in collisions between motorcyclists and cars turning in or out of side roads where motorcycles have access to bus lanes.
Now, the new experimental scheme will start in July and run for eighteen months, in order to gather more safety evidence for the Mayor to be able to make a conclusive recommendation about whether to make bike access to bus lanes a permanent measure or not.

Mayor Johnson exclusively told me as transport policy consultant to MAG and columnists for MSL: “I am honouring my pledge to let independently gathered evidence and analysis be the deciding factor about the overall impacts of the bikes in bus lanes measure.” He added that motorcycle and scooter riders “have made a persuasive case to be able to use TfL’s bus lanes, and if the prospect of quicker, easier journeys encourages more people onto two wheels then that will be for the good of everyone using our roads.”

Lastly he says that “the initial trial has shown positive results and the chaos that was predicted by some doomsayers has clearly not materialised.”

As far as I’m concerned, I am really delighted by the Mayor’s decision. Unlike his predecessor Ken Livingstone, to Bojo has had the balls to place hard evidence above political expediency and I genuinely believe that all concerned now have an invaluable opportunity to discover the full potential of this measure. It is also great to see that the new trial will be examining potential environmental and traffic flow benefits in addition to the key aim of researching and developing ever better ways to enhance safety for all for all vulnerable road users.

I was also briefed on the results of a separate study by TfL that used police traffic officers to study journey times in bus lanes. It indicates that journeys made by motorcycles or scooters using bus lanes are, on average, more than 10 per cent quicker than those not using bus lanes and 36 per cent quicker than cars.

And Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London’s transport advisor, told me this. “One of our key policy areas is smoothing traffic flow and allowing motorcyclists to use bus lanes can contribute to that aim. We already know people on two wheels can get around London more efficiently than those using four and believe they should be able to do so in bus lanes without affecting the safety of other road users. Kulveer went on to say: “Our trial has seen a number of successes but we want to tackle the issue of collisions with cars going in out of side roads. That is why the Mayor has advised that we run a second trial alongside a road safety campaign and training for motorcyclists. We also want to urge the motorcycle community using bus lanes to ride with respect and with a focus on reducing speed and increasing safety.”

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17th June 2010 by Leon Mannings

Boris Johnson filmed ‘threatening’ to stop bus lane use by motorcycle and scooter riders – unless protest against WCC bike parking tax is called to a halt

In an extraordinary outburst from Boris Johnson, London’s Mayor, broadcast by BBC news, he makes what NTBPT protesters have called a “threat” to stop motorbike access to bus lanes – unless they stop protesting against Westminster’s highly controversial motorcycle parking charging scheme. This episode has now also been reported by Guardian blogger Dave Hill

The mayor can be clearly seen and heard saying: “Do you want to stay in bus lanes?” To which the rider at the protest says “of course we do” – with the Mayor replying: “Well stop this protest”.

In response, Warren Djanogly, Chairman of the No To Bike Parking Tax group, said: “This would seem like a thinly veiled threat, bordering on blackmail.”

A fuller report of the incident was aired on BBC London News as the headline story for their lunchtime bulletin today.

The bikes in bus lanes measure to which the mayor refers is being run as a trial throughout the whole Red Route network of strategic roads in the capital.

But as it happens and with a bizarre coincidence of timing, the trial version of the measure is due to end with an independent report on the results due for submission to TFL this month.

Up until today, the Mayor had made it clear that the decision to keep bikes in bus lanes would depend entirely on the results of the report which is being conducted by TRL. Sources tell me that the trial results are likely to show that casualties involving cyclists have dropped in bus lanes which are shared with motorcycle and scooter riders. If so, that result alone should make it very difficult for our avid cyclist mayor to turn the clock back and stop motorbike access to bus lanes – as it may well cause a rise in casualties to his fellow riders.

As ever, we will have to wait and see what happens next. But my hope is that the Mayors’ newly focused concerns about the bike parking tax protest will now be focused on discussions about the real cause of that problem, namely the Westminster City Council scheme – which is not only hugely unpopular and has no demonstrable traffic management benefit – but according to the council is now running at a shocking loss. As it also happens I will soon be meeting with the new Westminster City Council Cabinet member who has inherited responsibility for this ill-conceived scheme and will be hoping to find a way forward that is truly sustainable and good for all concerned – including our colourful mayor!

Permalink | Comments (0) Posted in About, What’s happening | Labels: BBC news, Bike parking tax, Boris Johnson, Guardian Dave Hill, NTBPT, Westminster City Council

4th June 2010 by Leon Mannings

New Transport Minister pledges to “End war on Motorists” and increase value for money from ‘improvement’ projects

Philip Hammond MP, is the new Secretary of State for Transport and starts his term of office with pledges to end the ‘war on motorists’ while putting greater pressure on transport project developers to deliver better value for money.

These bold pledges are reported by the Telegraph who stress the end of UK policy trends over recent years that many see as a ceaseless drive to constrain private vehicle use and increase the scale and scope of charging schemes and motoring taxes. And whatever the merits may be of prevailing emphasis on such constraints it flies in the face of the harsh facts of transport life in Britain. Private vehicles in the UK facilitate over 75% of all passenger transport and a similarly large proportion of moving the freight and goods on which the nation’s health and economy depend. Anyway, the Independent goes in a similar direction to the Telegraph here, but also points out that Transport seems an obvious target for cuts.

Speaking for the motorists, Edmund King of the the AA welcomes the new minister but also makes a plea for greater coherence in policy development by asking that the new government supremo stays in post for longer than the recent succession of predecessors. This point is well made and one that many transport professionals would heartily endorse. A more sceptical response to the pledges about the new direction for future developments is aired at pistonheads.com. They ask a simple question. Will the Tories live up to pledges to reverse previous emphasis on speed cameras and government enthusiasm for spreading average speed camera systems throughout the UK?

Meanwhile, the Mirror emphasises that the change in leadership of the transport ministry puts a final nail in the coffin of proposals for a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport. But I am not alone in thinking that this is not a reliable assumption for the longer term.

In the context of rail, in London at least, the Evening Standard stresses that the new minister has vowed to finish Crossrail. My view on all this so far is based on limited evidence of what our new minister has to offer in the transport policy field. However, my sources tell me that Philip Hammond is unquestionably bright – and by all accounts so far, as good an egg as we could hope for in these challenging times. Even the Guardian describes him as an “Intelligent picador” As ever, we will all just have to wait and see…

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14th May 2010 by Leon Mannings

Will Lib Dem support for Nationwide Road Pricing win votes – or be a crucial clanger for Clegg?

Spotting a significant difference between the key proposals for transport by the three main UK political parties is, as far as I can see, close to a needle in haystack hunt. But there is one difference above all that could be a key factor in ending the ‘I agree with Nick’ craze that kicked off after the first televised leaders debate – and this could have a decisive impact on some key marginal seats including Richmond in London where transport and ‘motoring taxes’ are big bones of contention…

The Lib Dems want to “use road pricing revenue to cut fuel duty” according to an ePolitx.com summary in a concise and accurate list of key transports policy proposals by the three parties.

To be fair, the Lib Dems seem to think they have found a way to prevent a potentially devastating wave of objections to this proposal among a big majority of voters. Buried at the back of their manifesto on page 80, they say road pricing will not be introduced straight away but in “a second parliament” and that it would be “revenue neutral“.

But Lib Dem hopes that the UK electorate will trust any assurances about a new nationwide motoring tax, flies in the face of all the hard evidence of public opinion to date. The simple facts are that every time that the great British public have had a chance to vote on a proposal for a Road Pricing aka Congestion Charging scheme; 75% of them have said no.

Despite the massive efforts and even ‘bullying‘ by the current Labour government to push such schemes in Edinburgh and Manchester, (which I investigated and reported on extensively during my time at LTT) all hopes to impose such schemes were emphatically crushed.

And, lest we forget or you didn’t know, all the truly well informed experts on this issue agree that the main reason that Livingstone got away with imposing his Congestion Charge in London was that he had none of the trappings of a major political party to bother with when he steamrollered the scheme onto the streets during his first term in office – as he had been chucked out of the Labour party before his election as mayor for daring to defy their choice of more biddable mayoral candidate.

It is also a fact that Londoners only had two opportunities to vote on a Western Extension of the central London scheme and 70+% said no on both occasions. The first was on whether to go ahead with it which Ken Livingstone ignored, and the second was to keep it or remove it which Boris Johnson respected.

Now, the Conservatives have distanced themselves from any plans for nationwide road pricing – apart from a scheme for lorries which presumably they hope will not grab widespread attention or adverse reactions. And although Labour have said they will not try to introduce road pricing in during the next parliament, there are responses to Freedom of Information Act questions to show they may be secretly plotting to introduce it if they could in due course.

All this leaves Nick Clegg and his Lib Dem parliamentary candidate colleagues standing alone as manifesto advocates of nationwide road pricing – with Labour quietly waiting in the wings with hopes of joining forces to introduce it. But, there is at least one place where there there is a good chance of this turning into a big clanger for the Lib Dems, namely Richmond. Since the creation of this constituency the seat has been held by Lib Dem stalwart, Susan Kramer, who is to my personal knowledge a very big fan of the whole Road Pricing idea. However, her opponent in this election is none other than Zac Goldsmith who I know from recent conversations is extremely focused on trying to deliver a win for him and the Tories.

In the interests of balance I should say that I know there are a few key figures in the upper echelons of the Conservative party who are still very keen on the road pricing idea, but at least the party whips and policy wonks have the political sense to ensure they stay schtum for now.

So, never mind how many politicians ‘agree’ with Nich Clegg, the Lib Dem link to a new nationwide motoring tax may disincline a significant number of voters from joining that gang…

Permalink | Comments (1) Posted in About, What’s happening | Labels: Boris Johnson, Congestion Charge, Conservative, Labour, Labour Ken Livingstone, Lib Dem, London, London Mayor, motoring tax, Nick Clegg, Road Pricing, Susan Kramer, UK political parties, Western Extension, Zac Goldsmith

22nd April 2010 by Leon Mannings

TV debate for political leaders highlights what they think are ‘key’ issues but will transport be left in the gap between them? Answers in London on Monday?

I felt quite proud of myself last night for doing something that I don’t often do.

I watched a TV debate between the UK’s top political bananas without shouting at the telly once, or feeling close to being overwhelmed with a desire to chuck something hard and heavy at it. Normally, I avoid most televised ‘question and answer’ shows because that is generally what they are, a show. And in case you missed it, the ‘Leaders Debate’ show last night has already spawned more – and tens of thousands of Googleable pages of comment. And just in case you have been living up a tree for a while, it involved the UK’s mainstream party leaders; Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg and David Cameron.

But the problem for me is that I’m more interested in what politicians actually do or don’t do, than what they say in strings of highly spun and painstakingly rehearsed words. Like most people I have some interest in such things as health, education and how much tax I’m going to have to pay and for what, but my primary focus is on what our politicians will do to really improve the way we can get ourselves and the stuff we need to and from where it needs to be.

Speaking generally this is called transport but the element I’m most concerned about is what happens to the one and a half million or so riders of motorbikes, scooters and mopeds in Britain.

Sadly for me, none of our great political leaders said anything noteworthy about transport generally or riders specifically – unless you count a bit of clap-trap about new High Speed Rail links that there is no money to pay for and the tree-huggers would stop being built even if there was.

The good news for me is that beyond the glitz and glare of TV studios our politicians who want to be part of the next parliament are having to get out and about and talk about the things that matter to their potential voters and this include riders. Yes folks Riders Are Voters as the RAV campaign is trying to explain. And if you happen to be a rider voter there is still time to see what politicians will at least say they will do for you. Go to the RAV website or Facebook page for details of events near you. And if you happen to be in London on Monday the 19th you can come along to a real live question time at the Hein Gericke shop in Stockwell. This will have real live prospective parliamentary candidates and an appropriate panel of experts and riders issue people – including me… You have been warned!