Rumble in Brum as "vigilante" cyclists stage bus lane protest

Its no surprise to see such 'vigilante' action given that law enforcement on our roads is so limited and inconsistent. I suspect we will see more and more of this type of thing in the not-too-distant future.

There's some rubbish above. Sometimes you can ask politely until you're blue in the face, but sometimes increasing the pressure with direct action works, as long as your desired action is the easiest way for the local government to stop it, rather than having people arrested.

Perhaps if all the police officers and PCSO's were not issuing tickets to cyclists with no lights they may have been around to help the poor unfortunate taxi driver by giving him a ticket for not obeying the road signs??

'The cyclists were taking part in a flash ride organised via Facebook to urge Birmingham City Council to enforce rules...'

Aggressive actions like this never work to 'urge' anyone to do anything. They just get people's backs up and make them much more likely NOT to do what they're being 'urged' to do. While I sympathise with the cyclists feelings, being one myself and not a driver or taxi user, this just spoils the campaign, loses respect for cyclists, and is likely to increase aggression from drivers, making things even less safe for cyclists.

quoth Guyz2010:
"wilfull vandalism and hijacking gets NO SUPPORT WHAT-SO-EVER. It ain't helping our situation.
Reading this website, it does appear there are rather a lot of angry cyclist that need to chill out."

Seems a bit premature to decide it was willful vandalism (it could have just been an accident - why take the taxi-driver's account as gospel?), and I completely fail to see how it was 'hijacking' (did they climb in the taxi and drive off with it?).

Also - why do people need to chill out?

Sometimes anger is an entirely appropriate response. Its an emotion that evolution has bequeathed us for a reason.

Me, I confine my anger in relation to motorists to silent fuming and inaudible mutterings, and in general I'm more into despondent pessimism and cynicism than blockading taxis, but I don't see its your place to tell others what they should feel. There is quite a lot to be angry about.

I used to get really annoyed at people driving cars in bus lanes when I was commuting up to North London. One of my favourite tricks was to slow down and stop and take a photo of them. People got really annoyed at this. But damaging a vehicle is a bad idea.

Passive resistance makes a better point.

I used to live in Hong Kong and ride with a group of locals who were not afraid to surround and have "frank and open discussions" with drivers of vehicles who put us in danger or made stupid manoeuvres. Not sure of the long-term effect on individual drivers but they certainly drove off rather cautiously.

I used to live in Hong Kong and ride with a group of locals who were not afraid to surround and have "frank and open discussions" with drivers of vehicles who put us in danger or made stupid manoeuvres. Not sure of the long-term effect on individual drivers but they certainly drove off rather cautiously.

Quote:

“We are a public service. We are here to serve the community but we are being attacked."

Dear Taxi Driver,

Act like it then, instead of choosing which bits of the rules of the road you want to follow, based on whether it inconveniences you or not.

Another thought: is there actually a bus service using that facility? Surely if a bus had come along the cyclists would have let it through, so if early evening there's no bus for 27 minutes, I'm wondering what the point of the bus lane is.

Well yes, there is the cycle lane alongside the bus lane- but Sway seemed to think that becuase it isn't a motorway cycles are (lgeally) allowed to use the bus side.

Taxis aren't allowed at all in there, and from other sources apparently the taxi could have easily backed out very early and taken a legal route.

Also, not talking to the cyclists (at the behest of the passenger) was probably not a great move. Though he'd probably have just ranted about "road tax". Doesn't excuse any damage.

Flash PEACEFUL protest rides I'd support from my screen, wilfull vandalism and hijacking gets NO SUPPORT WHAT-SO-EVER. It ain't helping our situation.
Reading this website, it does appear there are rather a lot of angry cyclist that need to chill out.

OK, direct action is imperfect and this action didn't go perfectly, but where are the police and traffic wardens these days?

Good on these guys for taking action! Taking photos or reporting illegal use of the bus lane would change nothing. Its only when people get annoyed that changes will be made.

There's too many people in this country who are too comfortable in their armchairs.

Looks like the taxi driver was the typical arrogant arse that most of them seem to be. If I was the passenger I'd have gotten out after 2 minutes.

And it sounds like he went for one of the cyclists at the end - if a cyclist was in front of him ***he can't fucking well legally proceed under any circumstances***. So not at all surprised he lost a wingmirror. He's probably lucky he didn't need a micropump removing from a bodily orifice.

Personally, I blame the police. They fail to enforce the law regarding the bus lanes, fail to understand the law, side with the motorist, and end up looking dumb. I don't go in for hero worship. They are paid to do a job, they hold the most important position in civilised society as the enforcement arm of the state, but they systematically fail to protect and enforce. They are accountable.

I guess it would have made more of a point if a bus had blocked the bus lane to prevent the taxi driver from using it.
From that photo the cyclists shouldn't have been in the bus lane either, they have their own cycle lane.
But it has brought the whole problem to the public attention, and while cyclists may not be popular with a lot of drivers, taxi drivers aren't that popular with car drivers either.

Taxis do form part of public transport- the help with moving people that would find especially bus or Metro systems awkward or even near impossible (mobility issues, lots of luggage etc). But in many places they're poorly regulated, and even where supposedly well regulated (London) there's endless tales of borderline murderous driving.

The one that does annoy me a bit is the even-less-well-regulated minicabs using bus/taxi lanes. In London, at least, this is clearly against the law and prosecuted (see the Addison Lee fuss).

This article has made me think long and hard about how cyclists can get the respect they deserve on the road.

On one hand I am impressed that there are people who care enough about cyclists safety to stand up and highlight the fact that there are other road users who break rules and by doing so put vulnerable road users at risk. However I think that the way you put your argument across is often as important as the point you are making.

Deliberately causing obstruction while on a bike, to a taxi which was driving in a bus lane shows only that both are in the wrong.

As cyclists we have probably all been intimidated by other road users - a deeply unpleasant experience. Action like this highlights the issue, but it does something else.

It makes the driver of the taxi appear as the vulnerable road user.

You hand them one key thing that I rely on to be safe; the recognition of and respect for my vulnerability on the road.

If the roads are to become safer to me as a cyclist it will be because of mutual respect between those I share the road with, not by other road users being afraid of or intimidated by my actions.

It was clearly possible to make the point that taxi drivers use this road illegally without overshadowing it with a cyclists vs motorists confrontation.

I feel a bit ambivalent to all of this. On one hand, like Gkam, I don't like Critical Mass. The members attitudes to ordinary folk is alienating and gives 'cyclists' a bad name, and certainly doesn't create a wider empathy for common cycling issues (which I presume it is trying to do).

But equally I feel like our police force and government (I should really say governments) are not doing enough to police our country and enforce its laws.

It is therefore not surprising that this sort of group and critical mass are gaining momentum. This may actually make the local police force and government confront some of the issues.

If there was enforcement of the bus lane then this wouldn't have happened.

Well my bike isn't public either. I do have sympathy for Taxi drivers who find themselves excluded from some lanes but not others, although they should know which ones if they have the knowledge. Still, blocking him and passenger for 27min in uncalled for.

Never understood why taxis should be allowed to use the bus lanes in the first place. How on earth can taxis be considered part of the public transport network? Is getting in a taxi any more transport friendly than getting in your own car?