M4 bus lane
Encyclopedia
The M4 bus lane was a controversial 3.5 miles (5.6 km) bus lane
on the eastbound (London-bound) carriageway of the M4 motorway
between Heathrow Airport and central London
. It operated between junction 3 (A312) to the start of the elevated 2-lane section near Brentford
. The lane, which had no intermediate junctions, was reserved for buses, coaches, motorbikes, emergency vehicles and licensed taxis but not mini-cabs.
The lane opened as a pilot in June 1999 and was made permanent in 2001. It was suspended during December 2010 using an 18 month Experimental Traffic Order after which it will be reinstated temporarily for the 2012 London Olympics
. It is then likely to be scrapped permanently.
. The original intention was to replace the bottleneck with a lane drop at Junction 3, meaning that the road stretch between Junctions 2 and 3 would be narrowed to two lanes. The redundant tarmac was then converted into the busway..
The lane, replacing the original offside lane (the lane nearest to the central reservation) of the motorway, was opened as a pilot by the then Deputy Prime Minister
, John Prescott
on 7th June 1999 and was made permanent in 2001. A speed limit of 50 mph was created when the bus lane opened, which was then raised to 60 mph in 2003 when motorcycles were also allowed to use the lane.
Research into the effect of the lane was undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory
in 2000 and 2003. (see below)
On 1 October 2010 it was reported that the transport secretary, Philip Hammond
, was likely to announce at the conservative party conference that the lane would be suspended for 18 months from 24 December 2010 to be brought back for the 2012 Summer Olympics
after which it would be scrapped.
A Whitehall
source was quoted as saying that the business-case for removing the bus-lane showed time savings for all current non-bus lane users during the morning peak period and evening peak with no significant change in journey times for existing bus lane users'. During his speech to the Conservative Party conference Philip Hammond explained that removing the bus lane would result in 'shortening average journey times; reducing congestion; restoring a sense of fairness. Seven Freedom of information
requests were made the following day to various organisations (see below).
A section of the bus lane was removed and the lane reverted to all-traffic use on 16 November 2010. By the end of December 2010 the entire lane had been removed and the full road width reverted back to all-traffic use.
-London), 033 (Salisbury
-London), 035 (Poole
-London), 040
(Bristol
-London), 402 (Frome
-London), 403 (Bath-London), 404/504 (Penzance
-London), 413 (Hereford
-London), 421 (Blackpool
-London), 501 (Totnes
-London), 502 (Westward Ho!
-London), 505 (Newquay
-London), 508 (Haverfordwest
-London), 509 (Swansea
-London) and 509 (Aberdeen
-London); Megabus
operate M14 (Cheltenham
-London), Green Line Coaches
operate their 701 and 702
(Bracknell
-London) service and Berry's Coaches the 351 (Tiverton-London) service.
In May 2001 a Sunday Times survey found that of 111 buses that used the bus lane over a 5 hours 50 minute period, 38 were carrying no passengers, 37 were carrying 10 or fewer passengers, 15 were half full and 21 were full.
'Monitoring of the M4 bus lane: the first year' was produced in 2000 reported that the £1.9m scheme had reduced rush hour
journey times by 3.5 minutes for buses and one minute for cars. Off-peak car journey times were a minute longer due to a reduced speed limit which was cut from 70 miles per hour (112.7 km/h) to 50 miles per hour (80.5 km/h) and overall journey times had increased by 1.8%. CO2 emissions were cut by 16%, fuel consumption had improved by 16% and that noise levels were down by one decibel.
Transport for London
reported that the 7% of M4 traffic that used the bus lane carried 21% of the people.
TRL produced a further report in 2003 'Monitoring of the M4 bus lane: 2000 to 2002'.
A 2005 literature review of research into high-occupancy lanes produced for the Highways Agency reported that the lane was used about 3700 vehicles a day (3100 taxis, 500 buses or coaches and 100 minibuses) and that there was an overall benefit was 200 person-hours per weekday and a dis-benefit of 350 person-hours per weekend day; the dis-benefit being the result of the reduced speed-limit.
14 August 2009 Highways Agency which revealed that a total of 20 Penalty Charge Notices had been issued since January 2008 for misuse of the bus lane.
29 October 2009 Public Carriage Office Bus Lane which revealed that 192 complaints had been made about private hire vehicles using the bus lane.
Seven FOI requests were received agencies on the 2 October 2010 following the announcement that the lane was to be removed. Two were to the Highways Agency. The first requested details of data held relating to the operation of the bus lane, in particular reports produced by the Transport Research Laboratory and around the decision to remove the lane. The Response delayed due to the "The complexity and volume of the requested information and the current position surrounding the issues of the M4 bus lane mean that it is impracticable for us to give a full response within the original 20 days". The second requested details of the changes, communications relating to the changes and analysis.
On the same day a request was sent to the Department for Transport requesting details of data held and correspondence relating to the bus lane. No response had been received by 13 November 2010. A request was also sent to the Transport for London. They responded saying that they had not been part of any discussion. Similarly Hillingdon Borough Council,, Ealing Borough Council, and Hounslow Borough Council responded saying that they had not been part of any discussion. A request was sent to the Prime Minister's Office on 13 October 2010 requesting details of consultation regarding the removal of the M4 Bus Lane. No response had been received by 13 November 2010.
suggested that it could only be deemed a success if 'significant numbers of drivers switched from their cars to public transport' and Jeremy Clarkson
of Top Gear said he would 'vote for anyone who promised to tear up that stupid pinko bus lane'. When John Prescott appeared as a guest on Top Gear on 27 February 2011, the bus lane was the first topic raised by Clarkson. Citing independent research, Prescott maintained that reducing the motorway to two general lanes, had improved traffic flow and raised the average speed and lowered journey times for all users, while also improving safety. Countering this theory, Clarkson asked why the government had agreed to widen other motorways, which Prescott justified on the rise in number of cars on the roads (7 million new cars).
In 2009 the Automobile Association
described it as an underused 'white elephant
'. When announcing the suspension of the scheme in 2010 Philip Hammond said that 'Nothing is more symbolic of Labour’s war on the motorist', the RAC Foundation
supported the move with director Stephen Glaister
commenting that 'Most drivers on the M4 will wonder why this decision has taken so long'. The Sun described the bus lane as 'insane'. A Freedom of Information
request in 2009 revealed that the bus lane was barely enforced, with only 20 fixed penalty notice
s being issued in the preceding 18 months and that private drivers were able to get away with regularly driving in it.
Bus lane
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
on the eastbound (London-bound) carriageway of the M4 motorway
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
between Heathrow Airport and central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It operated between junction 3 (A312) to the start of the elevated 2-lane section near Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
. The lane, which had no intermediate junctions, was reserved for buses, coaches, motorbikes, emergency vehicles and licensed taxis but not mini-cabs.
The lane opened as a pilot in June 1999 and was made permanent in 2001. It was suspended during December 2010 using an 18 month Experimental Traffic Order after which it will be reinstated temporarily for the 2012 London Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. It is then likely to be scrapped permanently.
History
The M4 is mostly a 3-lane motorway, but between Junctions 2 and 3, it narrows down to 2 lanes and the hard shoulder disappears. As a result, the point where the 3 lanes narrowed to two lanes proved a significant bottleneckBottleneck
A bottleneck is a phenomenon where the performance or capacity of an entire system is limited by a single or limited number of components or resources. The term bottleneck is taken from the 'assets are water' metaphor. As water is poured out of a bottle, the rate of outflow is limited by the width...
. The original intention was to replace the bottleneck with a lane drop at Junction 3, meaning that the road stretch between Junctions 2 and 3 would be narrowed to two lanes. The redundant tarmac was then converted into the busway..
The lane, replacing the original offside lane (the lane nearest to the central reservation) of the motorway, was opened as a pilot by the then Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
, John Prescott
John Prescott
John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott is a British politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Born in Prestatyn, Wales, he represented Hull East as the Labour Member of Parliament from 1970 to 2010...
on 7th June 1999 and was made permanent in 2001. A speed limit of 50 mph was created when the bus lane opened, which was then raised to 60 mph in 2003 when motorcycles were also allowed to use the lane.
Research into the effect of the lane was undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory
Transport Research Laboratory
TRL is a British transport consultancy and research organisation based at Wokingham Berkshire with approximately 500 staff. TRL is owned by the Transport Research Foundation , which is overseen by 80 sector members from the transport industry. TRL also own small UK regional offices situated in...
in 2000 and 2003. (see below)
On 1 October 2010 it was reported that the transport secretary, Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond
Philip Hammond MP is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the current Defence Secretary in the Coalition government led by David Cameron, having succeeded Liam Fox on 14 October 2011...
, was likely to announce at the conservative party conference that the lane would be suspended for 18 months from 24 December 2010 to be brought back for the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
after which it would be scrapped.
A Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
source was quoted as saying that the business-case for removing the bus-lane showed time savings for all current non-bus lane users during the morning peak period and evening peak with no significant change in journey times for existing bus lane users'. During his speech to the Conservative Party conference Philip Hammond explained that removing the bus lane would result in 'shortening average journey times; reducing congestion; restoring a sense of fairness. Seven Freedom of information
Freedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
requests were made the following day to various organisations (see below).
A section of the bus lane was removed and the lane reverted to all-traffic use on 16 November 2010. By the end of December 2010 the entire lane had been removed and the full road width reverted back to all-traffic use.
Usage
In addition to taxicabs and motorcycles, a number of UK coach services also use the lane. National Express Coaches services include: 030/032 (PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
-London), 033 (Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
-London), 035 (Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
-London), 040
National Express Coach route 040
National Express Coaches Route 040 is a UK coach service operated by National Express Coaches in England which starts in Bristol and travels directly to London. One journey a day continues to Burnham-on-Sea.-Expansion:...
(Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
-London), 402 (Frome
Frome
Frome is a town and civil parish in northeast Somerset, England. Located at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills, the town is built on uneven high ground, and centres around the River Frome. The town is approximately south of Bath, east of the county town, Taunton and west of London. In the 2001...
-London), 403 (Bath-London), 404/504 (Penzance
Penzance
Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom. It is the most westerly major town in Cornwall and is approximately 75 miles west of Plymouth and 300 miles west-southwest of London...
-London), 413 (Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
-London), 421 (Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
-London), 501 (Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
-London), 502 (Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
Westward Ho! is a seaside village near Bideford in Devon, England. The A39 road provides access from the towns of Barnstaple, Bideford and Bude...
-London), 505 (Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
-London), 508 (Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales and serves as the County's principal commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous...
-London), 509 (Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
-London) and 509 (Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
-London); Megabus
Megabus (United Kingdom)
Megabus is a UK coach service operated by Stagecoach Group. It started in 2003 and as of February 2010 operated 19 UK coach routes serving 41 destinations in England, Scotland and Wales. Some services link with Megatrain services which are also operated by Stagecoach...
operate M14 (Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
-London), Green Line Coaches
Green Line Coaches
Green Line is a commuter coach brand in the Home Counties of England. It is owned by the Arriva group.Green Line has its origin in the network of coach services established by the London General Omnibus Company in the 1920s and 1930s...
operate their 701 and 702
Green Line routes 700, 701 and 702
Green Line routes 701 and 702 and former route 700 are limited-stop express coach services, currently operated by First Berkshire & The Thames Valley as part of the large Green Line Coaches network. It operates between Bracknell and London. Green Line routes 701 and 702 are operated by First Group...
(Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
-London) service and Berry's Coaches the 351 (Tiverton-London) service.
In May 2001 a Sunday Times survey found that of 111 buses that used the bus lane over a 5 hours 50 minute period, 38 were carrying no passengers, 37 were carrying 10 or fewer passengers, 15 were half full and 21 were full.
Research
A study by the Transport Research LaboratoryTransport Research Laboratory
TRL is a British transport consultancy and research organisation based at Wokingham Berkshire with approximately 500 staff. TRL is owned by the Transport Research Foundation , which is overseen by 80 sector members from the transport industry. TRL also own small UK regional offices situated in...
'Monitoring of the M4 bus lane: the first year' was produced in 2000 reported that the £1.9m scheme had reduced rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
journey times by 3.5 minutes for buses and one minute for cars. Off-peak car journey times were a minute longer due to a reduced speed limit which was cut from 70 miles per hour (112.7 km/h) to 50 miles per hour (80.5 km/h) and overall journey times had increased by 1.8%. CO2 emissions were cut by 16%, fuel consumption had improved by 16% and that noise levels were down by one decibel.
Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
reported that the 7% of M4 traffic that used the bus lane carried 21% of the people.
TRL produced a further report in 2003 'Monitoring of the M4 bus lane: 2000 to 2002'.
A 2005 literature review of research into high-occupancy lanes produced for the Highways Agency reported that the lane was used about 3700 vehicles a day (3100 taxis, 500 buses or coaches and 100 minibuses) and that there was an overall benefit was 200 person-hours per weekday and a dis-benefit of 350 person-hours per weekend day; the dis-benefit being the result of the reduced speed-limit.
Freedom of information requests
A number of freedom on information requests have been made in relation to the M4 bus lane.14 August 2009 Highways Agency which revealed that a total of 20 Penalty Charge Notices had been issued since January 2008 for misuse of the bus lane.
29 October 2009 Public Carriage Office Bus Lane which revealed that 192 complaints had been made about private hire vehicles using the bus lane.
Seven FOI requests were received agencies on the 2 October 2010 following the announcement that the lane was to be removed. Two were to the Highways Agency. The first requested details of data held relating to the operation of the bus lane, in particular reports produced by the Transport Research Laboratory and around the decision to remove the lane. The Response delayed due to the "The complexity and volume of the requested information and the current position surrounding the issues of the M4 bus lane mean that it is impracticable for us to give a full response within the original 20 days". The second requested details of the changes, communications relating to the changes and analysis.
On the same day a request was sent to the Department for Transport requesting details of data held and correspondence relating to the bus lane. No response had been received by 13 November 2010. A request was also sent to the Transport for London. They responded saying that they had not been part of any discussion. Similarly Hillingdon Borough Council,, Ealing Borough Council, and Hounslow Borough Council responded saying that they had not been part of any discussion. A request was sent to the Prime Minister's Office on 13 October 2010 requesting details of consultation regarding the removal of the M4 Bus Lane. No response had been received by 13 November 2010.
Controversy
The lane has been controversial since it was first introduced; In 2001 the Automobile AssociationThe Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
suggested that it could only be deemed a success if 'significant numbers of drivers switched from their cars to public transport' and Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
of Top Gear said he would 'vote for anyone who promised to tear up that stupid pinko bus lane'. When John Prescott appeared as a guest on Top Gear on 27 February 2011, the bus lane was the first topic raised by Clarkson. Citing independent research, Prescott maintained that reducing the motorway to two general lanes, had improved traffic flow and raised the average speed and lowered journey times for all users, while also improving safety. Countering this theory, Clarkson asked why the government had agreed to widen other motorways, which Prescott justified on the rise in number of cars on the roads (7 million new cars).
In 2009 the Automobile Association
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
described it as an underused 'white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
'. When announcing the suspension of the scheme in 2010 Philip Hammond said that 'Nothing is more symbolic of Labour’s war on the motorist', the RAC Foundation
RAC Foundation
The RAC Foundation is a motoring advocacy group that 'explores the economic, environmental, mobility and safety issues relating to roads and motor vehicles and campaigns to secure a fair deal for responsible road users'...
supported the move with director Stephen Glaister
Stephen Glaister
Stephen Glaister CBE is Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London where he is also director of the Railway Technology Strategy Centre; a former board member of Transport for London and director of the RAC Foundation...
commenting that 'Most drivers on the M4 will wonder why this decision has taken so long'. The Sun described the bus lane as 'insane'. A Freedom of Information
Freedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
request in 2009 revealed that the bus lane was barely enforced, with only 20 fixed penalty notice
Fixed Penalty Notice
Fixed penalty notices were introduced in Britain in the 1950s to deal with minor parking offences. Originally used by police and traffic wardens, their use has extended to other public officials and authorities, as has the range of offences for which they can be used.In recent years, this has...
s being issued in the preceding 18 months and that private drivers were able to get away with regularly driving in it.
External links
- M4 Bus Lane Explanation of the M4 bus lane on cbrd.co.uk
- M4 Bus Lane: For and against Opposing views in The Independent