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Road Safety Bill [HL]

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for setting out her case so clearly once again. I am afraid that I shall disappoint her in that we probably have not moved on the matter as far as she would like. However, there has been some movement. As noble Lords will know, the purpose of designating bus lanes is to give priority to buses over other classes of traffic. The more other motorised vehicles are allowed to use those lanes as a statutory entitlement, the more their purpose becomes devalued. I am sympathetic to the principle of improving facilities for motorcyclists, including their use of bus lanes where appropriate. Local authorities have powers to allow other vehicles to use bus lanes if they consider that it would be desirable, and probably a minority of local authorities are pursuing that practice. We do not have the exact figures of the number of local authorities that allow motorcyclists to use bus lanes, but as the noble Baroness has said, the provision is there for local authorities to take up. The Secretary of State has similar powers in respect of bus lanes on trunk roads and motorways. I am not aware of any plans on the part of the Secretary of State to allow—beyond the M4 bus lane—any further use by motorcyclists of bus lanes on trunk roads. I will make sure that if there are any plans the noble Baroness will know of them by Third Reading. We believe, however, that it should be left to the discretion of local authorities to decide whether they should allow any other vehicles, including motorcycles, to use any of their bus lanes, taking local circumstances into consideration. We should not be second-guessing local circumstances of which only local authorities have experience. Some local authorities have allowed motorcyclists to use bus lanes, for example Bristol and Birmingham, and the Secretary of State has permitted motorcycles and licensed taxis to use the M4 bus lane. There remain concerns for the safety of other road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians. Motorcycles can be fast-moving small objects, and when travelling in bus lanes they are in a part of the road where some people do not expect them to be. Noble Lords will know that our guidance to local authorities currently recommends against generally allowing motorcyclists to use bus lanes, but we are reviewing the guidance taking account of the trials in London of allowing motorcycles into bus lanes. I hope that the noble Baroness will see some progression. The main point about the amendment, however, is that while the department can provide guidance—notwithstanding that the guidance may change to become more relaxed and more neutral—the use of bus lanes by other vehicles is something that local authorities should decide depending on the circumstances of each case. It should not be written into primary legislation. I hope in view of this explanation that the noble Baroness will withdraw the amendment.