Motorbike Insurance

Motorbike insurance customers hoping for easier transport around London will be able to use most of the capital's bus lanes in an attempt to cut congestion.

The red route bus lanes will be open to motorcyclists as part of an 18-month trial period, beginning on January 5th, in a move that Transport for London (TfL) hopes will slash accident rates and reduce traffic levels in the area.

Announcing the plans, London mayor Boris Johnson said that he was "staggered" that motorcyclists had been able to use bus lanes in other cities but not the TfL routes in the capital.

"One of the ways we can ease congestion is by encouraging more people to get on their bike, whether pedal or powered," he insisted.

And despite strong opposition from cyclists who already use the lanes, Jeff Stone of the British Motorcyclists Federation dismissed the claims as "scaremongering", commenting to the BBC that the scheme would make London safer "for all vulnerable road users".

The decision comes in the same month as experts from the Cyclists Touring Club and Institute of Advanced Motorists told the Evening Standard that tougher policing and additional training was required in order to help cyclists and motorists share the road more safely.

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