Just got this email from the Ace Cafe.
I dont go to London much but rekon letting us bikers use these bus lanes is a good idea.
URGENT ACTION NEEDED - by YOU!
Apparently Transport for London are receiving very few comments from motorcyclists about the new London-wide TfL trial of motorcycles in red-route bus lanes.
The latest news is that as part of the evaluation of the scheme 'users views' will be taken into account and 'numbers responding' will play a part in this.
Clearly none of us want to see a situation where 5,000 cyclists have protested and 200 motorcyclists support. It's this kind of thing that would shift the political balance against us.
However, cyclists campaign groups are steadily orchestrating a build up of resistance to the measure, being well organised at grass roots level in the capital and elsewhere. Tfl have already received large numbers of submissions from cyclists, opposing motorcycles in bus lanes.
We risk losing the scheme at the end of the 18 month period unless the motorcycle world demonstrates widespread support for the measure.
We urge all of you who read this to use
this link
to visit the TfL 'user views' website and complete the response form, which will take only about two minutes.
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/finesandregulations/motorcycleinbuslanes/default.aspx All, if you're a member of any other bikers social networking site, could you start a thread on this? Please also use whatever other avenues for publicity that you have (owners clubs, other social networks, word of mouth, forward this emai
l
, etc).
The cycle lobby groups are motivated and determined. They see denying motorcycles access to bus lanes as a number one key goal. They have a strong and well motivated campaigning local network. They will do all they can to achieve their goal. Unless we respond to this, we risk seeing this hard won concession denied to us after the experimental period has finished.
The TfL scheme is being keenly watched outside London. Failure of the scheme in London will be likely to cripple our chances of getting motorcycles into bus lanes elsewhere.
