M4 Bus Lane On Its Way Out And Other Traffic Tales

Work begins today on the removal of the much-hated bus lane on the M4 into London. Built in 1999 by the Labour government, it was described as a 'symbol of the war on motorists' and incensed many of the 93% of road users who weren't allowed to stray onto its pristine and barely-used surface. Tony Blair wasn't one of them though - he and his motorcade famously decided that the rules didn't apply to them and used the bus lane to bypass a traffic jam shortly after it opened.

There's some good news for everyone who's ever sat at a seemingly unchanging red light too: TfL plans to refuse permission for new traffic lights unless a set somewhere else are removed. It's all part of Boris Johnson's grand scheme to keep London moving, which has also seen experiments in switching off traffic lights and countdowns on pedestrian crossings.

Sadly, Boris's largesse towards road users doesn't quite extend to repairing the roads. After last winter's big freeze, the roads were left looking like the surface of the moon with craters which while not quite large enough to accommodate a bus, would certainly do some serious damage to your suspension and probably leave you fuming by the side of the road with a bent wheel and a flat tyre. Maybe the pothole gardener can give the mayor a helping hand, though we suspect that this road in Brixton might prove a challenge even for him.