John Leech, MP for Withington Manchester writes the following on his website:

Local bus companies are refusing to send bus drivers on cycling proficiency training due to dangers of being on the road with other vehicles – including buses!

As more and more people are being encouraged to switch to cycling as a way to keep fit and do their bit for the environment, incidents of cyclist accidents involving buses are ever present and often end in serious injury. Yet bus companies seem reluctant to send drivers out on roads that are too dangerous.

Following a near collision between a cyclist and a bus on Palatine Road, local MP John Leech suggested to the Chief Executive of a leading bus company, that drivers be sent on cycle training courses as part of their driver training, so that they can appreciate the position of cyclists and recognise the dangers they face.

First responded was that there were ‘a host of potential health, fitness, safety and industrial relations issues’ that prevents them from implementing such a scheme.

John Leech said:

“We’re just going round in circles – if even the bus companies think that the roads are too dangerous for their own drivers to cycle around, how are standards going to improve?”

Advanced driver training is available for all drivers, the company contends, and drivers’ standards are monitored through the Driver Standards Agency.

Story Link here

The Princess Street / Portland Street junction in Manchester is a very busy junction servicing traffic from all directions. This junction is notorious amongst cyclists for the abuse of red lights here by cyclists, cars, vans, trucks and buses. Over the coming weeks, Fight Bad Driving will be gathering a dossier of evidence displaying this kind of behavior and it will be passed to the local council in an attempt to get some form of camera operation above the traffic lights here.

Below you will find a list of dates, linked to clips recorded at this junction:

October 2009
23-10-09: Clip 1;
28-10-09: Clip 1;
29-10-09: Clip 1;
30-10-09: Clip 1;

November 2009
02-11-09: Clip 1;
09-11-09: Clip 1;
16-11-09: Clip 1;
25-11-09: Clip 1;
30-11-09: Clip 1;

December 2009
07-12-09: Clip 1;
09-12-09: Clip 1;

Introduction:
Denton Roundabout is the roundabout that connects the M60 motorway to the M67 heading towards Glossop, and the A57 heading into Manchester Town Centre. The below photograph shows the satellite view of the roundabout, and the yellow lines I have marked on are where the traffic lights are.

Denton Roundabout From Above

Looking at the image, from the top left – these are the five junctions that video footage is taken from on the website whilst travelling from Manchester to Denton every day.

As you will be more than aware viewing the footage on this site, this roundabout encourages all sorts of shenanigans with red light jumping and speeding, but if the opportunity is given to drivers, then they are going to take it. The drivers are under the impression that as long as there isn’t a police officer somewhere watching what they are doing – then what they don’t know won’t hurt.

Unfortunately, we all know that this isnt the case, and someone in the near future is going to “take that risk” and end up taking someones life – all to shave  a few seconds off a journey. Is anybodies life worth it?

Highway Code:
Here is a brief description of what each of the traffic light signals means:

RED means ‘Stop’. Wait behind the stop line on the carriageway.
RED AND AMBER also means ‘Stop’. Do not pass through or start until GREEN shows.
GREEN means you may go on if the way is clear. Take special care if you intend to turn left or right and give way to pedestrians who are crossing.
AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident

Footage:
Here is a breakdown of all current videos on the site for Denton Roundabout. Clicking them will take you through to the relevant video clip on this site:

October 2009
22-10-09: Clip 1; Clip 2
23-10-09: Clip 1;
27-10-09: Clip 1;
28-10-09: Clip 1;

November 2009
12-11-09: Clip 1;
16-11-09: Clip 1; Clip 2;
17-11-09: Clip 1;
19-11-09: Clip 1; Clip 2;
20-11-09: Clip 1;
23-11-09: Clip 1;
24-11-09: Clip 1;
25-11-09: Clip 1;
27-11-09: Clip 1;
30-11-09: Clip 1;

December 2009
03-12-09: Clip 1;
04-12-09: Clip 1; Clip 2
07-12-09: Clip 1;
08-12-09: Clip 1; Clip 2
09-12-09: Clip 1;
15-12-09: Clip 1; Clip 2

For those that know the Princess Street / Portland Street junction, right in front of this driver is a 3ft no right turn sign, but of course, that doesn’t matter.

More footage, different junction, same outcome.