Tuesday 15th June 2004

Bike Rack Blunder

DfT wastes more of our money

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The Department for Transport recently spent £179,000 researching the feasibility of putting bike racks on the front of buses.

A study was undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory to determine the safety of a variety of racks in pedestrian impacts.

It came to the conclusion that bolting bike racks to the front of buses would dramatically increase the risk of life threatening injuries in a collision.

There's a surprise...

[Bonce]

£179k is a LOT of money to spend on such a basic investigation. No wonder we are seeing less and less for our tax money.

[v8thunder]

They care about collision protection on buses? Could have fooled me...

Besides, if you are numptily-inclined and are commuting on a bike, surely you're not going to use a bloody bus anyway?

[britten_mark]

As our (biased) company newsletter blurted this week when promoting national Cycle to Work Day.......

"Cycling to work is the mode of choice for the modern professional"

Lord, take me now.........

[v8thunder]

Yes, I'm sure it is, as is turning up to meetings windswept and sweaty, with one of those silly waterproof satchel things instead of a briefcase, being unable/late to make field visits, having to cadge lifts of others sensible enough to take the car. Need I go on?

[Mikey G]

v8thunder said:

They care about collision protection on buses? Could have fooled me...

As if the front of a bus is the friendliest place on earth to be hit by anyway
Reminds me of the debate on bullbars on 4x4's, again lets face it, not exactly soft and cushy to bump into without the bars on

[ricardo g]

'O yes, because this would have been such a success if the had been safe wouldn't it Mr DfT!

Just think, buses having to stop to let you get your bike off, causing major hold ups not to mention how many bikes would get nicked.

Great idea though...

[skid]

errrr.....

If they've designed one, why dont they just bolt it on the back??????

Have I missed something?

Mark

[aclucas]

Erm, maybe lost advertising revenue if they covered the back of the bus.

More likely complaints about soot covered bikes.

[Mr E]

Mikey G said:

As if the front of a bus is the friendliest place on earth to be hit by anyway

This was my inital thought as well....

[steff]

And no-one is going to nick the bikes off the front once the bus stops at traffic lights etc..

[S Works]

Fing morons.

I want a job as a consultant at that place... you can imagine them queuing up outside waiting for briefs - "A nanoseconds thought for £180k - yep, I'll take that one."

Perhaps they would have spent better money asking if it was a good idea to remove the goods vans on all their nice new trains which mean those of us without bikes have to fight our way through them just to get on/off.... as if using public transport isn't sh!t enough.

Long live the car!

[RAW-SEWedge]

Why don't they just put grab handles on the back of the bus for cyclists to hang on too and be pulled along behind the bus. About as sensible as installing a bike rack on the front of a bus in any case and far more fun

[crankedup]

Far to dangerous Skid, bolting bike racks to the rear of the bus. Might kill somebody when the driver reverses into the garage at night

[d3ano]

yet in Miami the buses have the racks on the front.
So why can it work over there, but not here?

[ajcerb]

dear God it just defies belief.

[richa]

What a waste of money. I would have only charged them £129k to come up with that conclusion

[kenmorton]

If the cyclists had to stay on thier bikes on the front rack that might provide a bit of a cushion to hit the pedestrians with.

[gizard]

kenmorton said:

If the cyclists had to stay on thier bikes on the front rack that might provide a bit of a cushion to hit the pedestrians with.

[jon h]

skid said:

errrr..... If they've designed one, why dont they just bolt it on the back?????? Have I missed something? Mark

Yes, you have missed something... the opportunity to make a £180K consultancy fee for such a radical idea!

[AJLintern]

How about removing all the seats from the bus and putting cycle racks inside? Then the cyclists could stay perched on their bikes You could even have a hatch that opens at the front of the bus, so as it brakes the cyclists are spat out the front, thus conserving momentum