metallicat wrote:
But bikes should be near the kerb, so why is the box all the way across the lane?
And we all know that bikes don't stop at traffic lights anyway, so the box is a completely pointless idea

The box is all the way across the lane to give us a chance of pulling away without being mowed down by an impatient idiot in a car.
And no, bikes shouldn't be near the kerb.
Finally - some do, but not all of us - myself included!