Good news for riders in Northern Ireland as Right to Ride reports that Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy announced the opening of two new bus lanes in Belfast city centre both of which will allow access for motorcycles.
The new lanes are part of the Belfast on the Move Transport Masterplan and are part of a package of sustainable transport enabling measures to be phased in by Summer 2013.
Read the full article on the right to ride web site at:
http://www.righttoride.co.uk/?p=10361
Unfortunately for riders South of the border, there is as yet no sign of enlightenment from our own National Transport Authority who are tasked with promoting the use of sustainable transport here. On the contrary, the NTA have consistently refused to acknowledge the contribution motorcycles can make to reducing congestion and emissions, and pointedly ignored the evidence submitted by MAG Ireland during their own consultation last year. If you missed it, the original post is here: https://www.magireland.org/2011/responses/national-transport-authority-no-to-motorcycles/
In the MAG Ireland poll carried out in March 2012, over 95% of you voted in favour of granting Irish motorcyclists legal access to the country’s bus lanes. Accordingly, MAG Ireland continues to lobby for the opening of bus lanes to motorcycles. The evidence is clearly in favour and the experience of our nearest neighbour must raise questions about the competence of those in the National Transport Authority when they say;
The possibility of permitting motorbikes to use bus lanes was considered during the development of the Strategy but was not taken forward, because of the potential negative impacts on pedestrian and cyclist safety and perceptions of safety.
Perhaps it’s time they looked North?
