On a recent visit to a Camden council meeting (yes, I do have all of the fun), I did learn that there might, finally, be some plans to enforce the protection for cyclists provided by advanced stop lines.

In the “London Local Authorities and Transport for London Bill, Third Bill for Deposit in November 2007” is a proposal (clauses 25 to 27) to “create a civil offence for unauthorised vehicles blocking or driving into a cycle advance stop area and the cycle lanes that feed them”.

The whole thing is written in dense legalese, but as I understand it the idea is that while “crossing the stop line” (for cars) is now a criminal offence, subject to fines and penalty points, this will retain the possibility of criminal enforcement, while also allowing council parking officers (and cameras?) to take action for the offence.

Don’t really care about the details, but it would be nice is drivers actually got the idea what that green patch with bicycles painted on it means.