To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will amend her Department's guidance to local authorities to support a policy of allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes; and if she will make a statement. (197589)

In line with actions set out in the Government's Motorcycling Strategy, my Department has already amended guidance to local authorities on the use of bus lanes by motorcycles.

In February 2007 the Department for Transport published Traffic Advisory Leaflet 2/07: The Use of Bus Lanes by Motorcycles. This makes clear to local highway authorities that it is for them to decide whether or not to allow motorcycles to use bus lanes and encourages them to make an objective assessment of the issue.

The new guidance revises previous advice in Local Transport Note 1/97: Keeping Buses Moving, which recommended that motorcycles should not normally be permitted to use bus lanes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the evidential basis is for the recommendations in her Department's Local Transport Note 1/97 against allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes. (197590)

The recommendation in Local Transport Note 1/97 includes an explanation that there was insufficient evidence at the time of publishing about the risk to pedestrians if motorcycles were allowed to use bus lanes as a default position.

However based on evidence from more recent studies, in February 2007 we issued new guidance in Traffic Advisory Leaflet 2/07, “The Use of Bus Lanes by Motorcycles”. This makes clear to local highway authorities that it is for them to decide whether or not to allow motorcycles to use bus lanes and encourages them to make an objective assessment of the situation based on local factors. The new guidance revises our previous advice concerning this issue in LTN 1/97.