The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) has reacted angrily to the publication of a so-called ‘official’ report into an experimental scheme which allows motorcycles to use bus lanes on routes in London by Mayor Ken Livingstone.
The ‘official’ report says that there is no clear safety benefit for motorcyclists, but that there would be a safety disbenefit for cyclists. Mr Livingstone has said that he will not now allow motorcyclists to use bus lanes in London.
But MCI is aware that Mr Livingstone was presented with a ‘final daft’ of the report before Christmas, which showed a very clear and in some cases, a dramatic safety improvement for cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists. The original ‘un-doctored’ final draft was leaked to the media and motorcycle organisations in January.
Since the un-tampered report was leaked, Mr Livingstone has been attempting to ‘rubbish’ it as not ‘fit for purpose’ and has heavily criticised the team which prepared the report.
MCI’s Craig Carey-Clinch said: “Mr Livingstone’s idea of ‘fit for purpose’ clearly has nothing to do with motorcycle or cycle safety. The findings of the ‘real’ report were clearly not ‘fit’ for his pre-determined view that he didn’t want motorcycles in bus lanes.”
“The report that Mr Livingstone has published today is little more than politically ‘spun’ tripe, pedalled to suit a negative view about motorcycling which has been heavily promoted by the Mayor’s anti-motorcycle transport advisors.”
“The original report shows quite clearly that safety can be significantly improved not just for motorcyclists, but also cyclists and pedestrians. By doctoring the results to suit both his and his advisors’ personal opinions, Livingstone has condemned cyclists and motorcyclists to greater vulnerability in London’s traffic. A bizarre standpoint from a Mayor who claims that he wants to encourage cycling and improve road safety.”
“If Livingstone wants to get serious about improving road safety, reducing traffic congestion and Co2 pollution then he must start taking motorcycling seriously as a mode of transport in London. The fact is that an increasing number of Londoners and commuters are voting with their wheels and switching to motorcycling. Allowing riders to use bus lanes makes complete sense from an overall road safety and mobility perspective.”
Several other UK local authorities and even some London boroughs allow motorcycles to use bus lanes, some for many years, with no negative safety issues reported.
MCI is now calling for the publication of the original report, so that the results can be properly compared with the tampered ‘official’ report which has been published today.
NOTES
1. The TfL experiment was designed in full knowledge of the lack of good ‘before and after’ data in the limited studies of towns where successful MC in bus lane experiments had been carried out. The TfL experiment was supported by DfT and the motorcycle community because it proposed to do the job properly.
2. When the first draft of the report into the finished experiment was delivered in 2006 there were concerns expressed because TfL had not included traffic flow data which would have shown whether the number of MCs and other vehicles using the experimental routes changed and thus whether there were more or fewer of each vehicle type using these routes, whether they were migrating to or from the routes.
3. There is also concern about the claims made for the statistical reliability of the Tanner Test. The accuracy of the statistical test used is subject to problems where there are changes in traffic flows and behaviours at different places. The lack of data to measure these changes and clear problems such as inclusion of one route where major road works caused traffic to behave differently during the experiments, was another cause for doubting TfL could compare like with like.
4. TfL took these concerns on board and after further study, produced a final draft which was submitted to Mayor Livingstone for approval. This final draft had properly considered the issues raised by experts from the motorcycling and road safely community and in addition to the Tanner methodology, the report also considered traffic flow data and other factors that were raised for consideration by experts.
5. The final draft found its way into the hands of the media and from there, motorcycling organisations, along with the news that Mr Livingstone intended to suppress the positive findings of the final report.
Today’s ‘doctored’ report from TfL recognises the limitations of the original draft, but unlike the original TfL final draft fails to overcome them, in order to return a ‘neutral, case not proven’ conclusion. There has been very clear political interference in the process. The following conclusions can be drawn:
* TFL conducted a fair and open process which was responsive to input and open to scrutiny, concluding in a fair and balanced report.
* The untampered TfL final draft report represents an important contribution to the debate, showing that positive impacts on vulnerable user safety can be significant
* The Mayor’s office refused to accept this and politically interfered, insisting that TfL ‘doctor’ it to neutralise the data
* The ‘doctored’ report issued by TfL on behalf of Ken Livingstone should be regarded as a diversionary tactic which is designed to suit a desired outcome based on the personal opinions of the Mayor and his advisors. It should be disregarded in the overall debate
* Evidence outside London shows that the measure is successful (no scheme has ever been withdrawn)
* Emerging evidence from Westminster, Kingston and Richmond is showing significant casualty reductions among key vulnerable groups (this news is actually in the doctored report)
* Allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes is good for the safety of all vulnerable road users
バイカーブードゥー
