Move Over

We elect MPs to make difficult decisions on our behalves. Scrubbing the controversial M4 bus lane, however, was not difficult. It was rather easy, in fact, as no one seemed in favour of it during its 10-plus years.

No one other than passengers likes bus lanes. The millions of motorists on the M4 certainly don’t. Yet, it did give coaches a minor leg up, jumping the queue towards central London. Indeed, is this the only legitimate time when you could see a coach in lane three?

From personal experience, I’ve only ever seen a few PSVs in it but I can’t say I use the M4 that often. It’s taxis that benefit, and it’s debatable as to whether these are really public transport, as their licensed divers assert. If you use a taxi to reach your final destination at the end of a coach or rail journey then, yes, I would concede that they form part of the public transport mix, provided that there’s no reasonable bus connection. If you use one as a substitute for your car—keeping your car garaged while you go for a night out or flee along the M4 bus lane to or from the airport—then public transport it is not. Assuming the vehicle doesn’t wait to be backfilled, this involves twice the mileage and emissions.

The interesting thing about the decision to ditch the M4 bus lane is that it will be reinstated during the 2012 Olympics, for competitors only. Was it Clarkson or another so-called personality who bought a black cab to evade the bus lane? I wonder how Clarkson will get around that one, now his taxi is no longer a passport on the M4. Perhaps he’ll maintain his fitness till 2011 to be a competitor...