Bikes in bus lanes

Soon (like really, really soon), motorbikes will be allowed to use bus lanes.

Transport for London will be starting an 18month trial on 5th January 2009 and it seems to open up a lot of bus lanes to us. About time too. The vast majority of my commute into London Village, I will see bus lane after bus lane empty and irate drivers stuck in single file. From experience, irate drivers = irate stupid driving and that can end up with drivers swerving to peer down the road or sudden U-turns. Hmmmm. Not good for a two wheeler filtering through traffic.

So let's use those bus lanes, but let's not abuse the privilege. This is a trial period and we must show that this is a correct, safe strategy.

Oh, and let's not let our guard down as we know many car drivers don't use their left wing mirrors and definitely won't be aware of this change.

Safe riding all.

Use your mirrors!!!!!

Do MPs actually live in the real World?

Introducing speed limiters on bikes? Yes, there are lots of maniac bikers around who show no road sense or road respect, the vast majority of these have big square boxes on the back and deliver pizzas. There are lots of maniac car & van drivers too and let me not forget Royal Mail
trucks or buses.

Yes, speed does kill, but what statistics for bad driving? Tail-gating on a motorway, turning without signalling, changing lanes without checking a mirror or the blind spot? Every one of us has seen some silly mistake or really stupid manoeuvre. Did I mention using mobile phone whilst driving? Or applying lipstick? I've seen even worse.

I've been knocked off my scooter. I was riding below 20mph and some f****r pulled out towards my legs. My headlights were on, my dayglo jacket was Cillit Bang zingy, but did they bother to look before changing lanes? No. If this brilliant government want to tackle road accidents, try tackling bad driving.