York Press: Cyclist’s bus fury

A cyclist has accused bus drivers of repeatedly pulling into cycle lanes in York, forcing him to stop and get off his bike.Mark Whitehead, 43, from Acomb, claims the problem is becoming so common that, sooner or later, someone will be knocked off their bicycle unless drivers start obeying the cycle lane laws.

He said he had contacted The Press to complain after yet another incident on a cycle lane in Tadcaster Road, The Mount, as he was cycling into town.

He said: “I use the cycle lane going up the hill and find a lot of buses pulling into the cycle lane in front of me without indicating, forcing me to get off my bike.

“It’s happening too often. If it carries on, someone is going to get knocked off.”

He said he had challenged a driver this week over his driving behaviour.

“I told him to open his door. He just said: No.’ He couldn’t care less.”

Mr Whitehead said he had noted details of the vehicle’s registration number, and was prepared to pass it on to the company if it wanted.

He said buses encroaching on cycle lanes were not only a problem in The Mount; he had also encountered it near York Railway Station.

“A lot of them don’t indicate; they just pull over, sometimes forcing me into the kerb.”

He said he had been cycling for years and had noticed the problem more in recent times.

He said it was not the city’s ftr superbuses that were primarily to blame, but ordinary buses, operated by First.

Another cyclist told The Press that she shared Mr Whitehead’s concerns, having repeatedly experienced buses coming much too close to her while cycling home.

A First spokesman said today that its drivers took the utmost care on the city’s roads, giving consideration for cyclists and also pedestrians and other motor vehicles.

However, the company would bring Mr Whitehead’s concerns to the attention of its drivers.