‘Do better’: UK government criticised for survey assessing if fines for entering cycle lanes are ‘fair’

The UK government has been criticised for a survey that aims to find out if fines handed out for a number of motoring offences, including driving in mandatory cycling lanes, are “fair”.

The survey is a part of the government’s ‘Plan for Drivers’ which, among other things, sets out to address concerns over how councils are using traffic fines to generate income.

“Caught out by driving in bus lanes or yellow box junctions?” the Department for Transport posted on X. “We want to hear from you on whether the current traffic enforcement measures are fair to drivers.”

The social media post was widely criticised in the comments, including by London-based advocacy group BetterStreets4KC which described the move as “nonsense”.

“Do better,” the advocacy group, which aims to make the streets of multiple London-based boroughs safer, responded on X. “This nonsense is corrosive to respect for public bodies. We await your survey as to whether enforcement of road law is fair to victims and vulnerable road users.”

Most comments shared a similar sentiment as the survey was met with anger and bemusement, in what has proven to be the latest controversy linked to the ‘Plan for Drivers’ scheme.

Read more: ‘Shocking lack of progress’: Charity criticises UK government for latest active travel figures

Launched in October 2023, it forms a part of the government’s attempts to combat what Rishi Sunak has described as a “war on motorists” and consisted of 30 measures “that improve the experience of driving through smoother journeys”.

It has already led to revised guidelines for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) that has raised the bar local governments need to meet before they can implement new LTNs.

In the press release announcing the new measures, Transport Secretary Mark Harper reiterated the government’s stance: “We’re on the side of drivers, and these latest measures show we’re getting on with delivering what we promised in our Plan for Drivers – making their lives better, fairer and cheaper, and helping people travel in the way that works best for them.”

It was followed soon after by accusations published in The Guardian that the government had covered up a survey highlighting the benefits of LTNs. That study has since been officially published and showed a strong public appetite for LTNs, with 45% of the 1,800 people surveyed in support of them. However, the report also highlighted the lack of public knowledge about LTNs, which was one of the reasons cited by the UK government for the changes to the ‘Plan for Drivers’.

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