Dear Cyclists in the Leeds area

[mickle]

My mate reckons that the standard of driving exhibited by London bus drivers improved enormously around the time that the buses were fitted with cameras. Amazing coincidence eh?

 

[Night Train]

Very valid indeed. Although I also frequently encounter large vehicles practicing 'signoevre', where the driver just seems to catch the indicator with the wrist while already turning or pulling out.

I've heard the excuse from truckers and bus drivers that if they signalled first then they find that car drivers start overtaking and not letting them out. So they move and indicate at the same time to stop the cars in order to be able to move out!

I have also been a passenger in cars where the driver, having got into the right turn lane at traffic lights when they wanted to go ahead, will sit there looking for a gap in the traffic but not indicating. They will then curse all the traffic for not letting them out. Then as soon as the smallest possible gap appears they will indicate and move out. I have learned not to get lifts with those drivers again.

 

[Tynan]

something in that I suspect, cars seem to see a bus indicating as an order to keep passing it

 

[nethalus]

I think that Nethalus has made a good point regarding blind spots as lets face it, a bus is so big and heavy, I doubt the driver would even know if someone went under their wheels.

I think that bus passengers should also take a bit more responsibility for their actions as the amount of close calls i've had passing buses where people have just stepped out from the front of them into my path (a good tip is if you are riding down a high street, glance in the shop windows on the right hand side as you approach the bus as you can usually see peoples reflection on the other side of the road).

Yeah I've noticed people do that. Get off a bus and instead of waiting for it to pull away again, or go round the back of it where they can see on comming traffic, they walk straight out in front of it and nearly get wiped out. Silly sods they are!

 

[summerdays]

Nethalus, does your company do those "Cyclists and Buses" leaflets some of the ones 'round here do? They make a lot of good points about avoiding blind spots etc - might be worth mentioning to your managers and dropping a few at local bike shops, universities etc, as well as drawing the attention of your colleagues to it.

Here's the one Warrington Cycle Campaign did in conjunction with local bus companies;
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/report/WBT-bus-cycle.pdf

I have forwarded on this link - Thank you very useful leaflet.

 

[nethalus]

Nethalus, does your company do those "Cyclists and Buses" leaflets some of the ones 'round here do? They make a lot of good points about avoiding blind spots etc - might be worth mentioning to your managers and dropping a few at local bike shops, universities etc, as well as drawing the attention of your colleagues to it.

Here's the one Warrington Cycle Campaign did in conjunction with local bus companies;
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/report/WBT-bus-cycle.pdf

Sorry for the delay in replying. Not seen any such leaflets like, but they do have posters up about watching out for cyclists and giving them room etc.

 

[John the Monkey]

...but they do have posters up about watching out for cyclists and giving them room etc.

Good to hear - the leaflet is worth a look, as it stresses that the cyclist has a role to play here too, and has a fairly good (or so it seemed to me as a layman) run through of blind spots and how not to end up in them, among other things.

 

[magnatom]

Sorry for the delay in replying. Not seen any such leaflets like, but they do have posters up about watching out for cyclists and giving them room etc.

Anything to do with me?

I didn't look at this thread until now as I assumed it was Leeds specific. Fair comment nethalus. All road users have responsibilities including cyclists.

 

[nethalus]

Anything to do with me?

I didn't look at this thread until now as I assumed it was Leeds specific. Fair comment nethalus. All road users have responsibilities including cyclists.

Dunno, it was just one the 60000 or so posters they put up on the depot walls about don't do this and don't do that like!

 

[jonesy]

In Oxford the cycle campaign group has been working with the bus operators to improve awareness of both drivers and cyclists:
http://www.cyclox.org/

 

[John the Monkey]

In Oxford the cycle campaign group has been working with the bus operators to improve awareness of both drivers and cyclists:
http://www.cyclox.org/

I must admit, I saw that a while back, and it seems like a really good program.

If I could have one thing change in Manchester, it would be the perception of some drivers that *all* cyclists should be on the cycle paths, and those that aren't deserve less consideration. Manchester City Council has to share part of the blame, because rational on road provision (ASLs etc) disappear where an off road path exists (even if it's over the other side of the road, and tortuous to say the least) reinforcing the idea that the cyclist should get out of the way.