London Cycling Campaign

I find the scooterrorists to be the worst about this.

Do note that when the blue lane is part of a bus lane, AFAIK, motorized traffic is allowed to share, but that follows, since in that case it's a full-dimension lane.

The way the scooterista fly up the bicycle-only CS8 lane westbound between the Blackfriar and Waterloo bridges is often quite alarming!

FWIW, I have in fact seen spot-enforcement, where the police have pulled over several scooters, presumably for abusing the bicycle lane. It does happen. I think we can agree it should happen more.

We've already been in touch with the police about motorbikes riding in mandatory cycle lanes (with a solid white line) on this route.

We encourage others to report offenders too, via the road safe website:

https://secure.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon/ 

The police are terrible for enforcing the cycle lane / ASL rules.

I've seen it quoted before that there are laws regarding the ASL.

You see it all the time in London, motorcyclists lined up in the ASL's. Just to be fair this is not all motorcyclists, but a big chunk.

I'm not sure why the police don't start doing random days at known junctions where the offences are carried ou the most. Just to plant the seed in the motorcyclists head that they may be caught. May put a few off at least!

Several moons ago, I was at the ASL on London Bridge (southside) and a motorcyclist told me to get out of his way while were waiting at the lights. I pointed out he shouldn't even be in the ASL and got a a rather blunt reply. I didn't move.

I'm not quite sure how we're supposed to remember the registration numbers of motorbikes as they whizz past. I'd spend all my life at an ASL writing them down and never get to work. I agree with BoforsGun that perhaps a few dawn raids targetting ASLs might get the message over.

Has anyone else had the experience of a motorist believing that cyclist are supposed to stick to just the blue lanes and are simply not allowed out of them? The Cycle Superhighways seem to have given motorists a false sense of bravado!

To Paintercom, they may have an argument, see item 49:

http://www.ukmotorists.com/highway%20code.asp?s=Rules for cyclists#900

Being a London bicycle commuter *and* a motorcyclist, I'm sympathetic to both sides of this issue, but, I've decided I do not support motorcycles or scooters in the curb lane under any circumstances.

Even in this land where so-called "filtereing" is encouraged, there is an important distinction to be drawn. Filtering is also referred to as lane-splitting, which clearly implies passing *between* cars (no around them on the curb side).

Anyone travelling in the curb-side "lane" is by definition at increased risk of being hit by turning traffic, and while bicycles typically must travel in this lane, we are also, typically, the slowest road users, and can be said to fit into a separate category. Motorized two-wheelers to not enjoy this distinction, and therefor are fools to occupy this space. And what's with the scooters who travel IN PARALEL to cars, riding along in the ditch and matching their speed? Who told them this was safe?

Some like to try to claim that that solid white line becomes dashed near the intersection to indicate that sharing the bicycle lane is okay at this point, but this is a self-serving and ignorant leap of logic to defy all.....well.....logic. No. That line becomes dashed to indicate that TURNING traffic is EXPECTED to move TO THE CURB (after yielding to any (bicycle) traffic in the curb lane) BEFORE executing A TURN! Except for bicycles, NO traffic should travel straight through the intersection from this location.

Duh?

As for motorcycles/scooters in the ASLs, well now, lets chose our battles here. If they can get their in a safe and reasonable way, and don't block the curb-side portion (where most of the bicycles should be in any case, IMHO), then I'm okay with the practice.

Working in London recently, I saw lots of motorbikes using the mandatory stretch of the superhighway on Grosvenor Road in Pimlico. As for the ASL, they seem to aggressively push their way into it. It happens a lot here in Bristol too. I once got sworn at by a biker who had filtered all the way down the right hand side of traffic only to find me in the ASL (I was 'hidden' by a removals van behind me). I didn't move for him and mentioned he was breaking HC 178. He didn't like being told he was wrong!.

On another occasion, I was in an ASL turning right when a motorbike entered the box on red, squeezed past behind me (I felt his panniers nudge my rear wheel) and he pulled up on my left. When I casually asked which way he was turning, I was met with a stony silence and much engine revving. Yes, you guessed it, the idiot was turning right and he cut me up as we left the ASL on green by executing  a right turn from a left position. Grrr!. One of the resaons why I bought a helmet cam.