Motorcycles and scooters are currently allowed to use almost all TfL red-route bus lanes, however many Boroughs don't allow us to use bus lanes on roads they control. You can help to change this!

Following pressure from SLMC and other campaigners the government is now consulting on making motorcycle access to bus lanes the default position across the UK. Please respond by 9th June telling them why you support this change.

Handy facts about motorcycles and scooters in bus lanes: 

• Multiple studies conducted by TfL and various London Boroughs have shown that motorcycles and scooters using bus lanes has no negative impact on the safety or efficiency of other modes

• The TfL assessment of motorcycles and scooters in bus lanes found there was no significant impact on pedestrian and cyclist collision rates. 

• It also showed there was no decrease in the number of cyclists using bus lanes

• There was no impact on bus speeds or timetables

• The assessment showed motorcycle and scooter riders are safer in bus lanes

• A survey undertaken by TfL to accompany the first trial also found that 56% of cyclists and 77% of pedestrians felt more safe or experienced no difference from PTWs being in bus lanes. Both cyclists and pedestrians said they had used red routes more as a result of the trial

• PTWs are allowed in bus lanes in major cities all over the UK, with nearly half of all bus lanes UK-wide allowing access

• The purpose of bus lanes is to allow buses to avoid congestion caused by cars. Motorcycles and scooters don't cause congestion, so there is no reason not to allow us in bus lanes

Links and resources:

Brent Council - Update on A404 Motorcycles in Bus Lanes Trial (November 2019)

London Assembly Transport Committee - Easy rider: Improving motorcycle safety on London’s roads (March 2016)

TfL press release - Motorcycles to be allowed permanent access to bus lanes (December 2011)

Motorcycles in Bus Lanes - Monitoring of the Second TfL Trial (December 2011)

Assessment of TfL’s experimental scheme to allow motorcycles onto with-flow bus lanes on the TLRN (June 2010)

What else can I do?

Note: this section is a work-in-progress - please contact us with corrections or additional information

If you live, work, study or volunteer in a Borough you have a right to be heard and represented by the Council. Click here to find out who is responsible for motorcycle safety in your Borough and tell them why motorcycles and scooters should be allowed to use bus lanes. Just follow these simple steps!

1. Find out what your Borough's policy on motorcycles in bus lanes is, and which Councillor is responsible in this spreadsheet and contact us to see if we can put you in touch with other riders who are campaigning on this

2. Check which bus lanes in your Borough allow PTWs (green) and which don't (red) in the map below and identify some specific bus lanes you think we should be allowed to use, e.g. where the rules change part way along a road

3. Email the Councillor responsible asking them to change this using the facts and resources on this page

4. Repeat as required...

5. Success!