To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance he has issued to local transport bodies on the removal of bus lanes to enable the creation of sections of road dedicated to cyclists.
Answered on
20 April 2021
The Department has made no such estimate on the removal of bus lanes. Local authorities are responsible for managing their roads, including provision of bus lanes and cycling infrastructure. They are free to make their own decisions about the streets under their care, provided they take account of the relevant legislation.
The Department has issued guidance for local authorities on reallocating road space in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. This includes bus and cycle-only corridors as one measure local authorities may consider. This can be accessed at:
In July 2020, the Department also published Local Transport Note 1/20: Cycle Infrastructure Design. This provides good practice advice on designing high-quality cycling infrastructure and includes advice on bus and cycle lanes.
Bus lanes are open to cyclists by default, and whilst not specifically a cycle facility, bus lanes can offer some degree of segregation for cyclists as they significantly reduce the amount of interaction with motor traffic. Local Transport Note 1.20 can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cycle-infrastructure-design-ltn-120