Allow motorcycles in bus lanes as default

We call on the Government to reverse its decision on the motorcycles in bus lanes consultation published 21 November 2024 and make the national default that motorcycles are allowed in bus lanes unless the local authority decides otherwise.

The overwhelming majority of individual responses to the consultation were in favour of allowing motorcycle access. We believe that large amounts of real-world evidence proves the policy is safe with over 55 local authorities allowing motorcycle access to approximately half of the nation's bus lanes by length. Our view is that a default policy does not erode the authority to make local decisions.

The Department understands that the outcome of this consultation will have been a disappointment for some motorcyclists and associated organisations.

Local authorities are best placed to understand the needs of their local road networks, rather than central government. In the absence of robust data from the consultation, there is little justification for moving away from a position of local authority choice to one in which allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes is the default.

The safety benefits of allowing motorcycles into bus lanes are not clear. The consultation aimed to gather up to date, robust evidence, primarily from local authorities. While a very large number of individual responses was received, there were not enough from local authorities to provide the information needed. Although many individuals responded in favour, the vast majority did not provide any supporting evidence of the benefits or risks.

The Department acknowledges that some questions received a high number of responses, but whilst the number of responses illustrates the prevalence of each response, a consultation cannot be seen as a ‘vote’. Conclusions cannot and have not been drawn based solely on the number of people offering positive or negative comments about a particular suggestion.

Research on the potential safety impacts for cyclists, and the impact on bus services would be needed to form the evidence base for any change in policy. Whilst there is evidence of this working locally, this is quite different from a national policy of default access.

Furthermore, the cost to local authorities of new traffic signs and Traffic Regulation Orders mandating such a change for existing bus lanes would be considerable. Without strong evidence of the benefits, this cannot be justified. The existing policy of local authority discretion also aligns well with our policies on bus service improvements, encouraging walking and cycling, and devolving powers to local government, which is at the heart of our transport ambitions.

The Government remains committed to supporting efforts to improve the safety of motorcyclists and this policy will be kept under review.

Department for Transport