The UK Government has decided to maintain its current policy on motorcycle access to bus lanes, following a public consultation.

This means decisions about whether motorcycles can use bus lanes will remain under the control of local authorities rather than becoming a nationwide standard.

Disappointment

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC).

Craig Carey-Clinch of the NMC called the decision “extremely concerning,” while Tony Campbell, CEO of the MCIA, described it as “shocking and disappointing.”

In its announcement, the Department for Transport (DfT) stated that the safety advantages of allowing motorcycles in bus lanes are not definitive, citing inconsistent evidence from available data.

The DfT also noted that the low response rate from local authorities during the consultation left insufficient evidence to justify a policy change.

The consultation, which ran from March to July this year, attracted over 14,000 responses, with strong public and stakeholder support.

According to the MCIA, 98% of individual respondents and 93% of stakeholder organisations backed the proposal.

Despite this, the DfT’s position reflects hesitance to alter its approach due to limited input from local councils.

Lack of input

The NMC emphasized that more than half of the local authorities that did respond supported the idea of motorcycles in bus lanes, suggesting the low response rate might indicate a lack of strong opposition.

However, the NMC expressed deep concern over the DfT’s statement that “at present, the government has no policy to encourage greater use of motorcycles.”

Craig Carey-Clinch highlighted the broader implications for motorcycle safety: “Ruling out this measure undermines efforts to improve safety for motorcyclists. With ministers promising a new Road Safety Strategy, this decision raises concerns that the strategy may lack the innovative approaches needed to address declining casualty reduction rates since 2013.”

The MCIA echoed these sentiments, pointing to the decision as a step backwards for sustainable transport.

Tony Campbell stated: “Rejecting default bus lane access contradicts public support and years of work promoting powered light vehicles (PLVs) as a sustainable solution. This sends a confusing message to prospective users, and hampers progress toward modernizing transport and achieving net-zero goals.”

Both organisations urged the government to reconsider its stance and to involve the motorcycle sector more actively in developing future policies, particularly regarding road safety and sustainability.

Confusing policy

The Driving Instructors Association (DIA) also voiced concerns, especially regarding attitudes toward and lack of regulation of e-scooters and bikes.

“We’re concerned to see the Government state that they do not wish to encourage greater use of motorcycles, nor improve safety for existing users. Yet at the same time, this same Government wants to facilitate the expansion of e-scooters, a potentially riskier category of rider, given the non-existent training and licensing regime for users and the lack of any clear plans to address this. Such an inconsistent approach undermines efforts to enhance road safety for all users.”

Local decisions

In its consultation response report, the DfT admitted that the consultation had not provided a clear view of the topic.

“The safety benefits of allowing motorcycles into bus lanes are not clear. Where data is available, the evidence varies. The response rate to this consultation from local authorities and stakeholder organisations was low and did not provide a robust evidence base to amend current policy.”

Whilst the consultation did “highlight issues of uncertainty in urban areas,” there is currently no clear need for change.

They added: “We will work with local authorities to achieve greater consistency in these areas.”