Bus lanes with cycles without taxis and/or minicabs

[mjr]

Do you know of bus lanes/roads which cycles are allowed to use but taxis aren't? A list of examples may help us to keep taxis off of cycleways in King's Lynn, where one borough councillor has said that nowhere else in the country is there a cycleway that buses are allowed to use but taxis are not. I'm pretty sure that's wrong, but I'd like an overwhelming list of counterexamples.

Similarly, are minicabs banned from many? I remember viewtopic.php?f=6&t=31672 and viewtopic.php?f=6&t=28660 about minicabs trying to gain access to London bus/cycle/taxi lanes but I don't remember the outcome.

(The taxis-on-the-cycleway proposal we're facing here is part of an Air Quality Action Plan measure being rushed through in the dying days of the council term, which is flawed in so many ways that shouldn't withstand scrutiny (for example, it claims medium effectiveness in reducing traffic in the AQMgtArea but we expect the freed capacity will simply be filled by more motor traffic) but so far there's been very little effective scrutiny.)

[bromptonrail]

I am not aware of any 'cycle ways that buses are allowed to use". There are many examples of Bus Lanes that are open to cyclists, often along with taxis ( Hackney cabs) and also Private Hire Vehicles ( used to called mini-cabs in London). In a few places motorbikes are also permitted.

I've never been convinced that mixing large buses with small cyclists had anything to offer to people on bikes, other than cars and lorries were excluded ( but not in the section before a junction!). Which is best, to be knocked off by a bus or a car / lorry?

Dedicated sections of the highway for cyclists ONLY is really the only way forward. Anything else is a waste of money ( not much, it's true), a con, an insult and a huge disincentive to anyone wishing to take up cycling.

[mjr]

I am not aware of any 'cycle ways that buses are allowed to use".

You are now! The Hardings Way cycleway in King's Lynn was built as a cycleway about 2000 and rebuilt around 2010 to allow bus use in an absolute farce while I was away from the area. We think it's the only section of NCN1 to be rebuilt to add motor traffic, so I'm not surprised if you're not aware of more. Local councils have since tried to add motors to other sections but decided against that and now are only adding motors to a new road alongside NCN1 in the north of the town

So do you know of bus lanes without taxis and/or minicabs?

[bromptonrail]

Ah!,I see - an absolute disgrace. West Norfolk Council seem to live in a bubble of their own making. If they don't want cyclists to come to their town why bother with any cycle routes dedicated or shared with other vehicles?

I wasn't planning on visiting King's Lynn, but I wouldn't even consider it now. Thanks for pointing this out. Good luck!

[Bicycler]

I've never been convinced that mixing large buses with small cyclists had anything to offer to people on bikes, other than cars and lorries were excluded ( but not in the section before a junction!). Which is best, to be knocked off by a bus or a car / lorry?

Dedicated sections of the highway for cyclists ONLY is really the only way forward. Anything else is a waste of money ( not much, it's true), a con, an insult and a huge disincentive to anyone wishing to take up cycling.

Allowing cyclists to use contra-flow bus lanes is a simple and effective way of opening up routes to cycles. Same goes where no turn or no entry exemptions are extended to include cycles as well as buses. Whilst I agree that generally a bus lane offers no great advantage over any other road, if there is to be a bus lane to the left of a general traffic lane cyclists ought to be able to use it.

[mjr]

Ah, saying you won't come here is a bit harsh. King's Lynn has a fairly good cycleway network and it's a pretty good place to ride, but we do struggle with getting the local councils to maintain, protect and join up the cycleways, even when it costs them almost nothing to do so! There always seems to be some officer or councillor with designs on some part of it. Can anyone find examples to help us?

[Bicycler]

Is there a permitted variant of the signs showing cycles but not taxis? That could be used to show that they needn't come as a pair

[gaz]

There are some locally that Buses, Cycles and Taxis can use, some that add HGVs to that mix and some more that are strictly buses only.

But you want to see this one: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Dartfo ... =12,0,,0,0 It's on NCN125 in Dartford.

It's part of the Fastrack "bus rapid transit" scheme that was an essential part of the permissions for a new housing estate. To be honest once it's crossed a bridge over Bob Dunn Way cyclists are kicked off onto a shared use path / minor roads. My understanding is that the remaining bus routes throughout the scheme are for the exclusive use of Fastrack buses; even other local bus operators cannot use Fastrack routes.

Edit: Fastrack buses only.

[Malaconotus]

minicabs are not allowed in bus lanes in most cities, including Leeds. Licensed taxis have only been allowed here for the last two years following industry pressure and a disabled lobby. This brings Leeds into line with, IIRC, Birmingham, Manchester and London. But the default position is that taxis are not allowed in bus lanes.

[SA_SA_SA]

Bus lanes seem useful to me.

[Rob Archer]

The background to this is that the Borough Council were desperate to get a road into this area to allow development of an area known as Harding's Pits, a community-run doorstep green and nature reserve. Needless to say this was massively opposed by the local community. Knowing they'd never get a road through there the council cynically got funding through the Community Infrastructure Fund to build a busway. This was opposed by schools, residents groups and cycling groups. We were ignored. The County Highways refused to carry out a full cycle audit of the route as cyclists were allowed to used the adjacent footway(!). A look at the design shows it was always intended to be a general road and letting taxis onto it is just the next step in that aim. Local taxi drivers tell me that they have been told verbally that they will be using it 'from this summer once the formalities are out of the way'. That seems to be the way things are done round here:cry:

[Pete Owens]

It is certainly common for them to allow taxis but not minicabs (remember the Addison Lee saga in London).
The TRO can include or exclude whatever categories of vehicle the council feels like. In Chester, even cycles are not allowed.

[RickH]

... In Chester, even cycles are not allowed.

Whereabouts? I've not come across any like that - the ones I've encountered around the city centre all allow cycling (& usually taxis I think too).

Rick.

[Pete Owens]

Wrexham Road:
https://goo.gl/maps/q1apa
Buses & Taxis only.

Sealand Road:
https://goo.gl/maps/VMBMJ
Buses & Taxis only.

Though I guess enthusiasts of pavement farcilities might not be concerned.

[RickH]

Wrexham Road:
https://goo.gl/maps/q1apa
Buses & Taxis only.

Sealand Road:
https://goo.gl/maps/VMBMJ
Buses & Taxis only.

Though I guess enthusiasts of pavement farcilities might not be concerned.

OK fair enough - I'd never come across those.

We usually use Lache Lane, rather than the A483, when heading in/out of the city in that general direction (although we tried to use Eaton Rd, down to Eccleston a couple of weeks ago but were thwarted by a police road block so ended up reverting to Lache Lane anyway! ). We've only ever used Sealand Road between Ferry Lane and Western Avenue so we've missed the delights of that one too!

Rick.