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Lately, London Mayor Ken Livingstone has seen a great deal of press coverage regarding his efforts to increase the congestion charges in London, which caused Porsche to vehemently disagree with said charges. This is not Livingstone's only legislative issue these days, though, as he is also opposed to allowing motorcyclists access to London's bus lanes. He claims that there is "only a very small safety benefit for motorcyclists [versus] a larger disbenefit for other vulnerable road users. On this basis I do not propose to further allow motorcyclists to use bus lanes. Those who have advocated rushing though a change have clearly acted prematurely and irresponsibly. Such changes could have endangered the lives of cyclists and pedestrians."

What evidence does he point to? Transport for London's Road Safety Unit ran something is called the "Tanner Test," and the results are what Livingstone consulted. There's a looming issue about the test, though, as Chris Hodder, government relations executive for the British Motorcyclists Federation, has alleged that Livingstone's report was purposely doctored in order to remove evidence that casualties actually decreased by 42 percent when cyclists were allowed in bus lanes.

Craig Carey-Clinch, policy director for the Motorcycle Industry Association, put his thoughts very plainly into words when he said, "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." That sounds like a very serious allegation to us. We'll be sure to keep you informed if more information regarding this case becomes available.

[Source: Motorcycle News]