It's very common outside the
UK▸ to see cycle racks on the front of buses, and people making composite journeys - cycle to the bus stop, take cycles with them, and then cycle to final destination. It makes huge sense. Why is it not something we see in the UK?
A question from (reproduced with permission)
I am a resident of Semington and take great interest in public transport in Wiltshire, I enjoy your updates and am particularly enthused with your recent updates on the Weymouth Saturday round trip option on the table for Melksham residents one I will be taking up before the Summer is out. The reason for getting in touch that as part of our trip to Florida we have chosen public transport (bus) by means of getting from our accommodation to Disney (I have 2 young children). This is a public service called Lynx run in Orlando and has nothing to do with Disney other than it serves their ticket and transportation hub where we can catch the monorail or Disney buses to their parks. Lynx have something I think buses serving Melksham and West Wiltshire will benefit from. Bike racks. As a keen cyclist I’d love nothing more than to be able to hook up my bike to a faresaver bus to broaden my options and enable new opportunities to explore. Has this ever been discussed before locally? I am gone the advent of the folding bike may mean this idea never gets off the ground and I know there will be red tape and costs attached however if grants ever became available then maybe it is something to consider. I have observed people using the bike racks and they look quite easy to use. I attach a photo of a bus for you to look at. Many Thanks. Daniel Butler
Bikes on buses (
https://www.bikesonbuses.com/locations/uk/ ) tells us
The UK has an extensive network of buses, and it would be ideal to carry 2 or 3 bikes on the front. However this is not happening at the moment, as the DfT» is not allowing new developments like this at the moment.
This would tie in with the long term Government aim of the UK being as cycle-friendly as possible. This simple, easy to use ‘multi-modal’ solution would be really popular with UK commuters, leisure, casual or occasional cyclists, and enables many more journeys to be made by bike.
Experimental work was done in Bath and to quote that site
The City of Bath is located in a valley whilst the university, hospital and residential areas are on higher ground overlooking the city. There is a real need to carry bikes on buses for the return trip uphill if cyclists have ridden down on their bikes.
First Group were keen to carry out a pilot scheme with bike racks on the front of their buses, with the support of the local MP▸ , council officers and the cycling campaign group to get LSTF▸ funding. Although close to getting DfT approval, the funding lapsed and the local Tory MP lost his seat leading to the end of the project.
There are other UK examples mentioned, but they are private services rather than being offered to the general public, and I recall past concern being on safety grounds on the "congested streets" of the UK compared to other countries. I also wonder if the DfT's not keen on the financials - unlike motorists, cyclists don't pay any tax to use the road, nor for fuel, nor on insurance for cycling and yet they ask for infrastructure; is maximum cycle use not a high priority?
There are also examples of buses that have allowed cycles inside - see
https://www.showbus.co.uk/gallery/sw/dgot5.htmA tourist initiative in 2011 was the North Devon Surf and Cycle Bus. The bus was able to take surfboards and bicycles on board. The service was designed to open up the amazing surf beaches of Woolacombe, Croyde and Saunton to those without their own transport. In addition it was expected to make it easier for people wishing to start/finish the national cycle route 27 coast to coast bike ride in Ilfracombe which meant you could get to and from a train station with your bike. The service managed a couple of seasons before the funding collapsed. Allegedly it failed to pay its way due to poor publicity.
From an operation viewpoint, a product spec at
https://cycle-works.com/products/bus-racks/ tells us
A bike rack mounted on the front of a bus is the ideal solution for truly integrated transport. In the US, racks are mounted on the fronts of over 70% of all buses.
Benefits of installing the racks
* Integrates bikes and public transport
* Shown to promote cycling as it
-encourages longer commutes
-provides reassurance for less confident groups
-provides a reliable option in case of emergency or bad weather
* Increases bus usage – increases the catchment area of the bus
* Provides secure bike transportation for dirty bikes, outside the crowded bus – especially important in peak times.
Advantages of the rack
* Quick and easy to use
(Approximately 20 -30 seconds – see our videos and statements from operators to support this)
* Safe and secure method of holding the bikes in place
* Does not reduce drivers vision, even when loaded with 2 or 3 bikes
Installation on the Back of Buses
The racks have been designed for the front of buses. However, they have been successfully installed on the back of buses for various UK bus operators.
However, on the back the racks are:
* Out of site of the driver, and user (cyclists usually stay next to the driver)
* Much more liable to bike theft
* Loading and unloading will be much slower
* Probably more dangerous – the driver cannot see if the user is still taking a bike off
* Once taken off, the user is in the middle of the road, so in a very vulnerable position. They are much more vulnerable if the bus reverses.
Also, the bike and bus combination on the front of the bus is also much more visible, bringing greater PR▸ benefits.
So where does that leave us?
* Folding bicycles ARE allowed inside buses, sometimes with the requirement that they are in a bag or box
* Folding electric assisted bicycles may or may not be allowed (if in a bag, is it hard to tell?)
* It's very rare to find a bus that allows a none-folded cycle inside
* I don't know of any front-loaded cycles on buses in the UK
* A few private bus services have racks on the rear.
If you wanted to have general availability of cycles on buses in the UK, or even have them in certain regions, I suspect the DfT regime would need to be updated to make it practical.
Edit to add - illustrations of bus carriers in the USA, out of use and in use
