I was offered 3 points and £100 fine for letting my front wheel encroach on a bicycle green box today by a C.O.L officer... Clampdown coming apparently... He let me go with a stern warning... H
I thought motorbikes were allowed to stop in them? Not necessarily allowed allowed but not an offence to do so?
Are we attacking about the boxes at the front of traffic lights? The one that allows us to filter through and get to the front? lol.
Ok found this - Highway code: HC Rule 178 Advanced stop lines. Some signal-controlled junctions have advanced stop lines to allow cycles to be positioned ahead of other traffic. Motorists, including motorcyclists, MUST stop at the first white line reached if the lights are amber or red and should avoid blocking the way or encroaching on the marked area at other times, e.g. if the junction ahead is blocked. If your vehicle has proceeded over the first white line at the time that the signal goes red, you MUST stop at the second white line, even if your vehicle is in the marked area. Allow cyclists time and space to move off when the green signal shows. [Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10, 36(1) & 43(2)] But then this response for Met police (MPS) - The advanced stop line merely creates separate stop lines for different classes of vehicle. There is no offence of stopping in the cycle box. Therefore, cases where an advanced stop line has been contravened would merely be recorded as "contravening automatic traffic signal". A manual search could be conducted of all red-light tickets issued, but this would exceed the Freedom of Information cost threshold to supply without charge and there is no guarantee that automatic stop line offences would be flagged. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/fines_for_motorbikes_using_cycle
From MCN website- London’s Cycling Commissioner Andrew Gilligan has announced plans to set up CCTV cameras at cycle boxes and lanes to catch motorists entering them illegally. It is illegal for motorists to enter the Advanced Stop Lines, punishable by a £60 fine and three points. However, it can only be enforced by a police officer physically present at the time of the offence. Mr Gilligan plans on decriminalising it and transferring responsibility from the police to Transport for London, who will use CCTV to catch, and immediately fine motorcyclists and car drivers. Transport for London hopes cyclists will be better protected against motorists, giving them a head start in traffic. Mr Gilligan said: “Compliance with bus lanes has gone up dramatically. Motorists avoid them even when they don’t have to. We want to do exactly the same [with cycle boxes and lanes].”
Right, on a sunny (ish) morning in London you overtake a swarm of cyclists travelling at speeds from 5-30 mph. So you pull up at a set of lights on the line before the box and its a 30 plus sec wait. In this time cyclists catch up and filter round you, both sides, blocking the road and filling the box, and as the amber comes on you have 20 cyclists (not including those that have jumped the lights) chomping at the bit. They set off wobbling elbow to elbow as they cover the entire road. By the time they have filtered across to the left and slotted into a single (usually double) file, the next box is in sight 250 m down the road. Repeat operation. Sorry but can anyone explain how this is safer that a longer rectangular box situated to the pavement side in line with the cycling lane? Or an extended box, to the other side where this is a right turn option. At least then we might be able to make an intelligent assumption that they will be turning, not just blocking faster traffic. Im not anti cyclist but they definitely target me like a mass personal vendetta, and hand signals seem to have gone totally out of fashion. Except the one or two fingered variety. Or am I missing something? GaryS
I actually saw a woman at the lights put her hand in the air and then point it clearly forwards to indicate she was going straight on at the lights. That's the first time I have ever seen anyone use the proper hand signal that way. Saying that, I do see people indicated with their arms left or right but for me, it's the straight on signal which is fair more important at lights. Hats off to her. Hopefully she won't get squished by a truck turning right any time soon. In terms of green boxes....I ride a bike and I don't see the point in them. I wouldn't dare start off in front of a car. I always wait by the side and I don't always filter to the front either. What';s needed are clearer cycle lanes although one gripe I have when I do cycle (it's not often!) is when cars drive in the middle of the road but for some reason move closer to the curbs at lights.....and not because they are turning. It doesn't bother me as such but I do wonder why it happens.
Its a war out there in London folks, and the biggest law breakers, the road users that flout most road traffic laws are winning, backed by an ever zealous TFL, every time one of the fcuknutz goes up the inside of a tipper lorry indicating to turn left and gets crushed to pulp, the highly policticised cycling organisations go into overdrive spewing out ever more demands that London becomes traffic free except for cycles. Its about time someone in authority is prepared to stand up and state it as it really is, cyclists regularly flout all traffic laws, and its the majority doing it, secondly, the group with the biggest accident statistics year in, year out injuring more cyclists than anyone else, are the fecking bus drivers, yep buses, and who are they controlled by? yes its TFL would you believe, you couldn't dream this up if you wanted to. Guess what? the biking brigades vociferous leaders never seem to mutter anything bad about the buses....no we don't want p*ss off TFL and Mayor Boris do we, not now they have committed a billion pounds to make London even more snarled up than it already is under the guise of cycling friendly roads. Its got to a point now, where they are installing opposing cycle lanes not only in one way streets, but on pavements everywhere, so the tools are now terrorising unsuspecting pedestrians, and any problems, don't worry, just ride off, no reg plate or insurance issues to worry these urban warriors who seem to get more protection by the day. So just be careful next time you are visiting London and its dark, you may just step out in front of a cyclist, who more than likely will be cycling the wrong way up a one way street, headphones on, no hands on the bars and no lights.....oh and I forgot to state, yes you were on a pedestrian crossing , and yes all the cars and motorbikes had stopped to allow you to cross.
I avoid it at all costs.Rather go round the merry m25 than through London.Stressful going through there. My view is: all cyclists should be single file unless 2 abreast when overtaking.All cyclists must have insurance public liability if commuting or working.If they have too many accidents involving other vehicles their insurance goes up.No insurance means no action when they get hurt in an accident.Police them the same way as bikers no insurance no lights etc confiscate the bike.Although cycling keeps the pollution down it still slows the traffic which in turn still pollutes with less traffic moving.Lets hope they sort something out quickly.Bless you all who work up there.
Cyclists should have to take a test, be insured, wear a helmet (not a peanut) and have a licence to put points on. And go on road rage courses. And what gave them the right to queue jump anyway. Also if they paid a £50.00p road tax we could afford cycle lanes to keep them safe from themselves. (Well most of them) ................... Mike.
So what about cyclists who pay 2 lots of car tax and 2 lots of bike tax? As for insurance if they cause an accident you can sue them, house insurance normally comes with 3rd party cover. If cyclists have to wear helmets do bikers have to wear full leathers/textiles? Do you think cars consider filtering to be queue jumping? Very easy to have a rant without actually thinking it through As I've said before, try commuting by cycle for a week and you will see the world differently, in the same way that motorists would if they tried commuting by motorbike. Not saying there aren't crap cyclists out there in the same way as there are crap lorry/bus/van/car drivers and bikers.
Do all Cyclists have house insurance? The helmet is for there own good. Teaching cyclists to cycle properly will defiantly improve things, so passing a test can only be good for everyone. yes I do think some car drivers think filtering is queue jumping, but bikes don't get in the way when at the front. I went too far with the anger management things, all cyclists are cool and calm (joke) I pay three lots of bike insurance/tax and two lots of car..... if I buy another bike I'll pay four lots! Mike.
Whilst not disagreeing with your comments, come and commute for a week in London on anything other than a cycle, then I think you will understand that its a whole different ball game to anywhere else in the UK, and you might understand the anger we have
I worked in EC1 for 2 years, Cheapside was always fun, especially the Poultry end at the Bank Junction
Well you will have some idea then, unfortunately I have done 30+ years bike commuting into the City so I am a little more battle hardened.
Ride through London regularly and l'm always amazed just how bad some of the road users behave. Twist & Go motorcycles, buses, black taxi's, but as said cyclist seem to top the charts for commuters of compete selfish knob jockeys. Just try claiming anything if one of them hits you or worst still a pedestrian- good luck. Even in the tropical paradise of Kent they can be a menace. Riding two or sometimes three abreast whilst blatantly holding up traffic, in aid of what, to check out each other's bulge in those MC hammer pants? I like riding my push bike (not that I do much now days) but ffs, it's a road so respect that.
