Town hall boss: Let car sharers use bus lanes to reduce jams

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The move would reduce the number of cars on the roads by encouraging commuters to travel together and relieve pressure on key routes, said Enfield council.

Terry Neville, Enfield cabinet member for the environment, called on the Mayor to consider the idea as a matter of urgency.

He said: "This will get London moving again. Congestion is choking London - both environmentally and economically.

"Bus lanes need to be used more effectively. By allowing people who car-share to use bus lanes we are making the most of London's road space and at the same time helping the economy."

The council said there might be " enforcement considerations" but suggested that cameras used by TfL to catch motorists who stray into bus lanes could also be used to detect cheats.

Enfield has more than 4,000 metres of bus lanes and believes that allowing cars carrying at least two people to use them would considerably ease pressure on other roads in the borough.

Mr Neville also announced that Enfield would refuse to install any more "bus boarders" - bus stops that stickout into the road, preventing other vehicles getting past stationary buses and causing traffic jams. There are four in Green Lanes, a major route running through the borough.

The council says the stops cause severe delays, and officials plan to discuss the removal of existing bus boarders with TfL. Mr Neville said: "Boarders mean buses effectively stop in the middle of the road, causing everything behind them to stop while the bus loads and unloads."

TfL immediately attacked the lane-sharing plan, claiming it would delay buses.

A spokesperson for TfL said: "We do not support the introduction of car sharing in bus lanes. The short-term benefits gained from cars sharing bus lanes are not sustainable and quickly lead to increased journey times for bus passengers.

"Allowing cars to use Enfield's bus lanes would lead to enforcement difficulties and driver confusion, as well as safety problems for cyclists."

The Mayor is already under pressure from motorcyclists to allow them to use bus lanes.