Motorcycles In Bus Lanes

Dear Mr Grant,

Freedom of Information enquiry reference ENQ8735.

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 received on 24 May 2010, which has been forwarded to the relevant section.

The scheduled date for our response to your request for information is 22 June 2010.

If you have any enquiries meantime please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Reid
FOI Compliance Assistant

FoI Enquiries Team
Legal and Democratic Services
Corporate Governance
Aberdeen City Council
Town House
Broad Street
Aberdeen AB10 1AQ
Tel: 01224 522875/523827
Fax: 01224 638556
email: [Aberdeen City Council request email]

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Dear Mr Grant,

Thank you for your information request of 24 May 2010, made under the
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA). Aberdeen City
Council (ACC) has completed the necessary search for the information
requested.

(1) Has Aberdeen Council investigated the matter in allowing motor
cycles (whether petrol or electric powered) to make use of Bus Lanes
within the City?
(2) If no such investigation has yet taken place, when will this issue
be addressed?

This topic has been discussed on a number of occasions and the Council
have currently the following statement within our Local Transport
Strategy which has been agreed with our various stakeholders.

"In the past, the Council has been lobbied on allowing motorcyclists
access to priority bus lanes. The Council still maintains the position
that the needs of motorcyclists do not justify giving them priority over
other road users, on the basis that this will dilute the effectiveness
of the priority lanes and lead to an unsafe mix of users. However we are
aware that trials are being undertaken across the UK and will keep this
situation under review."

The Road Safety team still have concerns that motorcyclists will weave
in and out of traffic when overtaking buses, cyclists within the lane.
However some of these trials in the UK are still ongoing and we are
monitoring their results when they become available. At this time we
have no plans to change the current arrangements.

We hope this helps with your request.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Reid
FOI Compliance Assistant

FURTHER INFORMATION

Aberdeen City Council’s Complaints Procedure under the FOISA

An applicant who is dissatisfied with the way in which Aberdeen City
Council has dealt with his/her request for information under section
1(1) of the FOISA regime, may, by virtue of section 20 of the FOISA,
require Aberdeen City Council to review its actions and/or decisions in
relation to that request.

If you wish Aberdeen City Council to review its actions and/or
decisions with respect to your request for information, you should write
to the City Archivist, Resources Management, Aberdeen City Council, Old
Town House, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1AQ. The City Archivist will
arrange for your application for review to be considered by the Review
Panel. The Review Panel will write to you informing you of its decision
by not later than twenty working days after receipt of your request
requiring that a review be made. By virtue of section 21 of the FOISA,
the Review Panel will also provide you with a statement of its reasons
for arriving at the decision it has made.

Your request for review should reach Aberdeen City Council by no later
than 18 August 2010. Your request for review must be in writing (or in
another form which has some permanency and is capable of being used for
subsequent reference i.e. audio/video tape recording). You must state
your name and address for correspondence. You must also give details of
the information that you originally requested from Aberdeen City
Council, and must state the reasons why you are dissatisfied with the
way in which your application for information has been dealt with.

Your Right to Complain to the Scottish Information Commissioner

By virtue of Section 47 of the FOISA, a person who is dissatisfied with
a Notice issued by Aberdeen City Council under Section 21 of the FOISA,
may apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner, for a decision as to
whether, in any respect specified in that application, the request for
information under section 1(1) of the FOISA, has been dealt with by
Aberdeen City Council in accordance with Part 1 of the FOISA.

An application to the Scottish Information Commissioner must be made in
writing (or in another form having some permanency ie a video/tape
recording) within six months of receipt of a section 21 Notice by the
applicant. An applicant must state his/her name and address. An
applicant must also specify: -

- the request for information to which the requirement for review by
Aberdeen City Council relate;
- the matter which gives rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction
pertaining to the applicants request for review;
- the matter which gives rise to the applicant’s dissatisfaction
pertaining to the decision given in the section 21 Notice.

The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St
Andrews, Fife, KY16 9BS
(Telephone 01334 464610; Fax 01334 464611; Email
[email address])

FoI Enquiries Team
Legal and Democratic Services
Corporate Governance
Aberdeen City Council
Town House
Broad Street
Aberdeen AB10 1AQ
Tel: 01224 522875/523827
Fax: 01224 638556
email: [Aberdeen City Council request email]

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