Swinton suggests a scooter can be quicker and cheaper

[JohnR93]

Leeds and Bradford do not, and will fine you if caught.

There really should be a Nation Wide rule for this. If you travel a lot, how are you expected to know the local rules and conditions? Just about every other road rule is national so everyone (should) know how to use the roads, it's all in the highway code. Why are Bus Lanes so different?

[Bluebottle]

There really should be a Nation Wide rule for this. If you travel a lot, how are you expected to know the local rules and conditions?

+1
And the ever changing London zoning thing is ridiculous to outsiders. "you are entering sugar free motor carriage zone" this and "low emission trouser turbulence zone" that. No explanation, are there charges? does it apply to me?

Fine if you commute the route every day and it is all local knowledge to you. The rest of us have no idea what the hell it means or where the borders are until some pillock causes a pile up on the M25.

My other favourite is longwinded signposts about time controlled bus lanes that are placed behind another sign or a tree

[SH125Paul]

most coppers don't seem to care during busy rush hours...

Borough Council do... they are the ones that operate the Cameras, and send out the PCNs...

Also so the bit about Commuting time may well be wrong, and the bit about Parking!

[StephenC]

Leeds and Bradford do not, and will fine you if caught.

There really should be a Nation Wide rule for this. If

There is. Sort of. Bus lanes are run by local authorities but the DfT issue guidelines on usage. DfT issued a note to local authorities about motorcycles in bus lanes in 2007 which is still current and encourages them to consider the matter objectively: http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/t ... l-2-07.pdf

Selected extracts:

The Government’s Motorcycling Strategy, published in February 2005, seeks to facilitate motorcycling as a choice of travel within a safe and sustainable transport framework. The strategy recognises that motorcycling has become increasingly popular and offers a number of benefits...

The Strategy gave an undertaking to review the advice given in Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/972, on the use of bus lanes by motorcycles. Local highway authorities are able to permit classes of vehicles other than buses into bus lanes. However, because of concerns about safety and lack of any evidence at the time, LTN 1/972 recommended that motorcycles should not normally be permitted to use them. This Traffic Advisory Leaflet now revises the guidance on that point in LTN 1/972 and encourages a more objective assessment to be made.

Obviously it will depend on local politics whether or not motorcycles are allowed into the lanes. Hence the current mish-mash.

[SpikeOne]

However, because of concerns about safety and lack of any evidence at the time, LTN 1/972 recommended that motorcycles should not normally be permitted to use them.

That bit made me smile.
HTF can it be more dangerous to be in a lane with one bus in it, when, if there hadn't been a lane, the bike would have been sharing the lane with a thousand cabbies, buses, and cars?