Pulled in the bus lane

SlabMurphy

cagedbiker wrote: »

I got pulled over with a car that had been following me for about 6 sets of traffic lights so I think the cop may have felt he had to take me in too but three other bikes filtered into traffic just before me and whooshed on, and while I was waiting for him to get finished with the car driver about 6 more flew by without him batting an eyelid...

To be honets with you, and I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but continually staying in the bus lane is asking for it a bit. I don't think they mind you using them in the short term, but using them all the time !!!! Also when I use them I keep the speed down to below 30, if they think your abusing them they'll pull you.

BTW, a guard I know, and he doesn't ride a bike, said he and others thinks it would be safer to offically allow motorbikes and scooters in the bus lanes.

Run_to_da_hills

perhaps permit motorcycles use bus lanes but only with a strict speed limit of 40MPH ie the max speed limit supposingly for double decker buses. Anything more than this in bumper to bumper traffic is madness.

Luckycharm

OP- Are you going to get penalty points as well as a fine?

Like other I use the bus lane all the time only when static traffic on the road and do not go too fast. If I was using the Stillorgan Dual carriageway I would definetly use the bus lane esp when I was driving a scooter as it could not keep up with the traffic and found it very dangerous driving on the road.

cagedbiker

He only mentioned a fine and I didn't give him any lip - felt it just better to bear it and mutter from down the road!

Hotblack Desiato

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

perhaps permit motorcycles use bus lanes but only with a strict speed limit of 40MPH ie the max speed limit supposingly for double decker buses.

What about the taxis? They can go right up to the overall speed limit and no-one is claiming that's a safety issue.

There is no need to make special rules and regulations about bikes in bus lanes, there is NO safety issue, in fact UK studies show it enhances safety (not just for riders, as pedestrians can see bikes more easily) but the govt. here don't want to know.

Just abolish the ban already.

However I would say that going 40mph faster than the traffic in the next lane, bus lanes or no bus lanes, is not sensible.

agent_smith

It 0% legal. A cop should be pulling you in because it is dangerous driving because it is ILLEGAL. No grey area here.
And good work on taking out of context quotes there.

Safety and legality are two separate issues.
With regard to safety, if you have ever completed the garda bikesafe course, the ROSPA certifications (bronze, silver or gold), IAM or other qualifications with regard to road safety you would likely have heard each and every one of them tell you that a bus lane is probably the safest place to be as it puts the most distance between you and a car especially during morning and evening rush hour.
We can debate the safety aspect till the cows come home, regardless, established and recognised safety courses will tell you that a bus lane is a safer place to be...
Now on the other hand... they don't advocate breaking the law either

IMHO that garda was just a trying to prove a point or up his/her quota. You were unlucky. Many a time i've been waved into the buslane by a motorcycle garda etc...

CrazyRabbit

Driving a motorcycle in the bus lane is illegal?

Wow...someone should tell all those Gardai on motorcycles that do it.

/sarcasm off

pirate reject

There has been a lot of talk over here in England about bikes using bus lanes. A few cities have trialled the idea quite successfully and then kept it going. I have actually read in the last few days that there is talk of a trial in London itself http://londonist.com/2008/05/motorcycles_all.php . I imagine if it is successful over here, it will probably only be a matter of time before it filters home to Dublin and then the rest of the country. I suppose it depends upon how serious the government really is about congestion. I also imagine it depends upon the attitude of bikers to any trial run that may take place. If the lanes are used sensibly then there's every chance it could be adopted, but if the idea is seen by a stupid minority as an opportunity to let rip past a traffic jam the cops might persuade Cowen otherwise

Tayto2000

I'm surprised no one has mentioned London yet... One of Boris Johnson's election promises was to open the bus lanes to PTWs and he has apparently followed through on this although it may take a while to actually happen.

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/mcn/2008/1-4/19-25/may2208borisjohnsontoopenbuslanes/?&R=EPI-100620

This is after what was essentially political interference. Gaybo is in favour here, MAG have been pushing it for a while too, but car drivers seem to hate the idea (jealousy?) and hence there's little incentive to do it and probably a political penalty as well.

I love the pic on the LCC website on the link provided by pirate reject btw... All the cyclists are ignoring the cycle lane and blocking the buslane

Paparazzo

agent_smith wrote: »

Many a time i've been waved into the buslane by a motorcycle garda

Same here. Drove past loads too

Hotblack Desiato

pirate reject wrote: »

I imagine if it is successful over here, it will probably only be a matter of time before it filters home to Dublin and then the rest of the country.

For years the government here quoted an outdated UK policy document which basically stated "buslanes are for buses" and shure why would we do any different here, now that many cities in the UK have done a complete u-turn on bikes in bus lanes and it's working out very well, they insist that shure aren't we different and why would we copy them?

Shower of ignorant b*st*rds!!!

I suppose it depends upon how serious the government really is about congestion.

Not serious at all. DCC have carried out some initiatives to restrict private cars (which incidentally do not apply to PTWs) and want to do more, but there is political resistance.

I also imagine it depends upon the attitude of bikers to any trial run that may take place.

No need for any trial runs. A huge number of PTW riders use buslanes already, during legal times and non-legal times. There is NO safety issue. The problem with lifting the ban is not due to some Garda objection, there is none, it is purely with the minister concerned not giving a damn.

FX Meister

the law is the law i guess. Sure its probably worth it in time saved anyway. I use bus lanes all the time in the car. Stopped 3 times past 5 years and fined once

Hotblack Desiato

FX Meister wrote: »

the law is the law i guess.

The law is an ass on the issue of motorbikes in bus lanes, that's for sure.

There are good reasons for banning cars from bus lanes though. Cars get stuck and hold up buses, bikes don't. Logically, taxis would be banned from bus lanes, they hold up buses and aren't public transport as such.

So basically you are placing your convenience above the possibly 80 passengers in the bus stuck behind you. Tsk.

FX Meister

I agree, I think bikes should be allowed in the bus lane. While the traffic situation remains the way it does I've no problem taking my car into the lane and paying the "congestion" charge if I'm stopped. Friend of mine yesterday was telling me of a scheme he uses in London to get people out of cars and onto bicycles where he can buy a bike without vat and a further 10% knocked off too. He saves about 30% of the cost cause he chooses to cycle to work. Of course there's nothinbg like that here. But sure I'm off topic now anyway

FX Meister

Jeez think I jinxed myself. Got caught in the bus lane today, huge queue and I just sailed down the bus lane. Garda walked over from the other side of the road to pull me in. Managed to talk my way out of it though. Phew!!!

Green_Martian

FX Meister wrote: »

Jeez think I jinxed myself. Got caught in the bus lane today, huge queue and I just sailed down the bus lane. Garda walked over from the other side of the road to pull me in. Managed to talk my way out of it though. Phew!!!

I have nearly been caught mysef a few times.........if i see the cop in time from a distance i usually try an nip back into the normal lane, or slow down a bit and not make it obvious or showing the cop i don't care

Run_to_da_hills

You also have to remember Taxi drivers use bus lanes, some of these guys think they own the road and them and bikers generally do not get on together. If these guys are reporting bikers to the cops for recless riding through bus lanes the cops have to be seen doing something about it.

RATM

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

You also have to remember Taxi drivers use bus lanes, some of these guys think they own the road and them and bikers generally do not get on together. If these guys are reporting bikers to the cops for recless riding through bus lanes the cops have to be seen doing something about it.

Yeah I get that impression with some taxi drivers too-especially the ones who have National Taxi Driver Union markings on their roof signs. Im only riding a little over a year now but I remember only a month into riding pulling up at the top of the traffic light Q in front of a taxi. I could see him fuming in my mirrors cos he wasn't going to have the clear road he thought he'd have. When we pulled off he went and boxed me in between the kerb and the passenger door of his car. This went on for about 100m down the quays with me coming very close to getting tipped by him a number of times, I sure he was doing it on purpose to sh1t me out. I pulled on the brakes to let him get his joy and then went passed him another 100m down the road when he pulled up behind a stopped bus.

Funny thing was he had no passenger in his taxi, which means both him and I weren't supposed to be in the bus lane in the first place. Cops never apply that law to taxis without passengers but taxis clog up bus lanes far more than bikes do....

ambro25

Odd that, two riders pulled at end of month... just as a matter of curiosity, for anynone in this Forum reading this, who's ever been pulled for this (riding in bus lane) and done - was it at month end? Coz I have never seen, nor heard of, any rider being stopped for it at any other time

(I never use bus lanes in the last 5 to 7 days of the month)

vektarman

From a safty point of view 50cc mopeds should be allowed to use bus lanes, every day I witness mopeds with a max speed of 50KPH using the chapelizod bypass which has a speed limit of 80KPH so what happens is impatient car drivers drive up behind them blowing their horn to get the moped to move over (this is the slow lane), if the moped moves to the side of the slow lane they have taxis driving at 80KPH inside them in the bus lane and the mopeds are sandwiched by cars on both sides, surely a case for the law to be relaxed.

faceman

vektarman wrote: »

From a safty point of view 50cc mopeds should be allowed to use bus lanes, every day I witness mopeds with a max speed of 50KPH using the chapelizod bypass which has a speed limit of 80KPH so what happens is impatient car drivers drive up behind them blowing their horn to get the moped to move over (this is the slow lane), if the moped moves to the side of the slow lane they have taxis driving at 80KPH inside them in the bus lane and the mopeds are sandwiched by cars on both sides, surely a case for the law to be relaxed.

There are no slow lanes in ireland with the exception of some dotting around the country for trucks on hills.

Re the Chapelizod bypass, its 2 lanes plus a bus lane each way??

vektarman

faceman wrote: »

There are no slow lanes in ireland with the exception of some dotting around the country for trucks on hills.

Re the Chapelizod bypass, its 2 lanes plus a bus lane each way??

Mmmm
perhaps I overelaboarated, my point is there are three lanes (each way, for pedantic posters) with a speed limit of 80kph, imo mopeds with a top speed of 50Kph should be allowed to use the least used lane i.e. the bus lane.

Hotblack Desiato

vektarman wrote: »

Mmmm
perhaps I overelaboarated, my point is there are three lanes (each way, for pedantic posters) with a speed limit of 80kph, imo mopeds with a top speed of 50Kph should be allowed to use the least used lane i.e. the bus lane.

Why should buses with maybe 80 passengers on board be held up, so that single-occupant cars can go faster? It makes no sense from the traffic management point of view. Or the safety point of view, I'd rather have a car up my butt than a bus...

lord lucan

ninja900 wrote: »

Why should buses with maybe 80 passengers on board be held up, so that single-occupant cars can go faster? It makes no sense from the traffic management point of view. Or the safety point of view, I'd rather have a car up my butt than a bus...

too true. and i'll be the first to admit i've come over all wobbly in the past when i've had a bus up my hole,it can be very un-nerving and i'm sure there's plenty of sadistic bus drivers out there who'd love nothing more than to put the frightners on some poor unsuspecting biker.

markpb

As both a bus user and cyclist, I can't fathom any reason why you guys aren't allowed use bus lanes. I can understand the restriction on cycle lanes but personally I have no problem with you using those either as long as you're courteous (and I've never met a biker in Dublin who wasn't). I guess it's in the law and it's not a major issue so no-one will bother to change it because there's no votes to be won by doing that.

faceman

markpb wrote: »

As both a bus user and cyclist, I can't fathom any reason why you guys aren't allowed use bus lanes. I can understand the restriction on cycle lanes but personally I have no problem with you using those either as long as you're courteous (and I've never met a biker in Dublin who wasn't). I guess it's in the law and it's not a major issue so no-one will bother to change it because there's no votes to be won by doing that.

Its nice to hear from a cyclist that isnt up in arms with bikers

Hotblack Desiato

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0612/roads.html

Gardaí say a new road safety initiative, Operation Safeguard, will take place from tomorrow until Wednesday.

They say that all facets of road traffic legislation will be comprehensively enforced, including targeting provisional licence holders who are driving unaccompanied.

Other offences to be targeted include not having a driving licence.
Advertisement

Vehicle insurance, road tax, NCT, tyres and registration plates will be checked as well as the use of seat belts and child restraints, driving while using a mobile phone and while intoxicated.

This means lots of Templemore graduates and non-traffic corps Gardai out doing traffic duty. Expect hassle in bus lanes, and to be asked where your insurance and NCT discs are :rolleyes:

lord lucan

rather than start another thread i'll direct you guys to this one in commuting and transport:http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055351830

have your say!

Duzzie

lord lucan wrote: »

rather than start another thread i'll direct you guys to this one in commuting and transport:http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055351830

have your say!

Added my 2 cents

robinph

ninja900 wrote: »

Why should buses with maybe 80 passengers on board be held up, so that single-occupant cars can go faster? It makes no sense from the traffic management point of view. Or the safety point of view, I'd rather have a car up my butt than a bus...

Well if the other lanes are moving at speed then the bus should over take on the right the same as if it were a cyclist in the bus lane they wanted to get past, when the traffic is queued up and mostly stationary though the bus will usually not be able to even keep up with the 50cc due to cars/ lorries overlapping the lane markings and blocking the buses way.

The only busses that ever cause me any problem with driving too close behind are the Bus Eireann ones, I never have any trouble from Dublin Bus or other operators trying to run me off the road.