London Bus Lanes

I think it’s because I’m out on the road in the wee hours of the morning, but are motorbikes allowed on all of the bus lanes at any time or are there restrictions?

I know that Boris extended the ‘test period’ for motorbikes using the lanes.

If anyone has got more detail on the subject I would really appreciate the info articles online are so vague :frowning:

Cheers all

X

There are no hard & fast rules, all boroughs are different. You have to look out for the signs, but even they can be wrong

(For example Ealing recently rescinded the use of bus lanes for bikes, some of their signs have been changed, but not all).

Oh dear I hope Lewisham and Southwark allow them else I think I’m going to get an agry letter from the council eeek!

What are the penalties for using a bus lane?

£60 or £80 it think. per offence. So if you crossed 10 junctions…:crying:

Expletive deletive

Desperately trying to remember my journey this morning and compare notes with the TFL map of where we are allowed…pants!

You can ride in bus lanes on red routes, these are controlled by TFL (Boris) and local authorities cannot rescind access. For all other bus lanes you need to obey the controls sign posted, at the start of lanes, with the occasional repeater on longer bus lanes.

If in doubt, stay out is probably sensible.

If you do get a pcn just appeal it… They’ll let you off if it’s the first time…

Also get on Google Streetview. You might be able to see the bus lane signs along the roads you travelled…

Thank you for the advice guys. Really appreciate it :slight_smile: will stop me worrying now!

Signs/permissions aren’t guaranteed to be the same though…

plus Google Street view might be showing photos from a few months ago as well.

That’s what I meant :smiley:

I can’t see google sending those cars out again in a hurry, stuff is only going to get more out of date on there.

If the signs don’t match the permissions the bus lane is unenforceable. For example, I routinely ride in the bus lane in Westminster Bridge Road from where it becomes a red route. The signs don’t say bikes are allowed in, but they don’t say the hours of operation either so are unenforceable. I have never been PCNed for ths bus lane, even though I have been riding in it long before Boris changed the rules.

The bus lane when it is not a red route in Westminster Brodge Road is very well policed by Lambeth CCTV and I know loads of people who have had bus lane fiunes for using them, but the signs are clear.

TBH, I’ve been using bus lanes on my motorbikes for years.

The majority are 7am to 7pm or maybe 10pm. After that, most are free to all traffic. On enforcement, it’s possible that they’re monitored by CCTV operators, but out of core hours, probably not.

Anyway, as I said, I’ve used them for as long as I’ve been riding in London (10+ years) and never heard a peep.

Honestly, I wouldn’t worry.

I went through a fair bit of the A4020 in Ealing/West Ealing the other day in the bus lane… because the blue signs had the motorbike on it… hope I don’t get caught, as I didn’t realise they’d already stopped it… but if I do is there grounds for appeal as the signs still have the motorbike logo on it? :crazy:

Don’t “live” in Ealing so I shouldn’t really have any reason to know if I was average Joe.:crying: (the A4020 is not a regular road I ride)

You’re 1000% in the right as you obeyed the road signs, simples.

What happens if they change the signs whilst the ticket is being sent to you in the post? I got 3 tickets for the same right hand turn I was doing every day - one came 3 weeks after I did it, the others took 4 weeks after the ‘offence’…

I tried appealing for the one time I did it, and Islington weren’t having any of it.

bit of a late reply to this thread, but I was thinking the same thing and I found this if it’s of any use to anyone:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/finesandregulations/10151.aspx

There are pdf maps on that page that show exactly which bus lanes can be used by motorcycles.

I got a ticket on Wandsworth Road a couple of weeks ago - clear photo of me literally INCHES inside the line. Just got to sck it up - at least it’s not points on the license.