Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to make bus lane access standardised throughout the country.

Bus lanes are provided to give bus services priority during congested times, which can improve punctuality, reliability and journey times.

Provision of bus lanes is the responsibility of local traffic authorities, including decisions on what type of vehicles are allowed access. The Government believes these decisions are best made at local level as local circumstances will influence what is appropriate. Traffic signing must clearly reflect the classes of vehicle permitted to access bus lanes, so that drivers are clear what is expected of them.

As well as buses and pedal cycles, authorities have discretion to allow motorcycles, hackney carriages and ‘authorised vehicles’ to access bus lanes.