A panel of disability experts has urged the government to call a halt to all new floating bus stops because ‘dangerous cyclists’ refuse to stop at their zebra crossings, a report revealed.
The Government’s disabled persons transport advisory committee (DPTAC) accused ministers of “underplaying” vulnerable pedestrians’ fears over the stops, which involve crossing a bike lane to board a bus, says The Daily Telegraph.
It also criticised the Department for Transport for pandering to the cycling lobby, claiming draft guidance implied that cyclists “should not be inconvenienced” by road rules.
The ‘secret’ 2025 document, marked “official – sensitive”, was released under freedom of information laws and showed how the expert committee, set up in 1985 to advise ministers on disabled people’s needs, had repeatedly called for a “pause” on the controversial bus stops.
Commenting on guidance for local authorities designing the bus stops, the DPTAC panel wrote:
“For the record we would wish to restate that, as set out in our [2024] advice, our position remains that there should be a pause on all new installations until further research is complete.”
Its report, published in October last year, called for “greater prominence” to be given to the fears disabled people – including the visually impaired – have about being hit by inconsiderate cyclists.
“The review of the research carried out somewhat underplays the concerns expressed by disabled people: the psychological impact of near misses and people avoiding the particular areas for fear of encountering this infrastructure,” it says.
“We would like to see more emphasis on suitable calming measures to alert cyclists of the need for a change in behaviour, to slow down and give way to pedestrians. There are points in the guidance where it almost seems that cyclists should not be inconvenienced by such measures…”
Sarah Gayton, of the National Federation of the Blind of the UK which uncovered the report, called for an immediate halt to the bus stops.
“This advice was never published but was kept secret from Parliament. Had MPs and Lords known they would have voted against floating bus stops,” she said. “No more research will make these designs safe or accessible for blind people to use independently.”
(Picture: Department for Transport)
