Bikers using bus lanes.

Run_to_da_hills

I am curious to know has any biker ever been done for using bus lanes? I believe they are permitted to use them in the UK and on the Continent, over here it seems a grey area. Personally I believe it is much safer for a bike to use them rather than to go filtering through oncoming traffic.

MrPudding

It's a bit grey here in the UK as well to be honest. The government releaseed a recommendation that bikers should be allowed to use them, it is now up to indivdual councils to decide whether ir not to implement.

MrP

robinph

Been stopped a few times, mostly by cops in cars, but they never actually gave me a ticket. I just plead ignorance to the daft Irish bus lane rule in my foreign accent and it's all good. Been stopped by bikes a couple of times as well but that was only when the bit of road I was on was not even a bus lane, they still didn't bother with fines though.

Steffano2002

I always use them and I've never been stopped. That said, I do avoid using them when I see a Garda... I go with the "it's ok if you don't do it in front of them" theory.

Chunkylover

use them when I have to, in rush hour mainly, I dont know how many times Ive past garda cars and had no problems but I wont have been doing mental speeds, 2 of the instructors Ive used have said to use them when it is safe to or when there are more than the normal amount of nut jobs on the road
Ive heard of gardai on bikes pulling bikers over and telling them to use the buslane cause it is safer

robinph

I sometimes see other bikes hesitating on if they will ride in the bus lane or not when a cop bike or car has just gone along in front. I think that once there is more than one of us going down the bus lane at the same time though I figure they cannot be bothered with the hassle of stopping all the bikes at once. Safety in numbers.

expediateclimb

You would want to get a Garda in a pretty bad mood to give you a ticket for riding on the bus lane. Slagging off his mother usually works

murphaph

Chunkylover wrote:

Ive heard of gardai on bikes pulling bikers over and telling them to use the buslane cause it is safer

Lol, this happened to me this afternoon. I was showing a cage driver how to get to a meeting we were both attending in town and as I sat stationary on the Naas Road at Bluebell with an empty buslane to my left I heard a beep-beep and as I glanced left there was a bike Garda beckoning me to join him scoot down said buslane. Fcukin cool bloke or what! Cage driver behind me couldn't believe it and said it was time to ditch the car pronto! Really frustrating not to be able to follow that dayglo pan up the inside!

mirwillbeback

I came on to start a thread on this very subject. Coming through Blackrock everyday and it's bus lane heaven. Last week I was right on the middle line, just inside the bus lane and a copper shouted at I passed to " get outta the bus lane ". Fair enough, but a fella behind me was in the middle of the lane, continued to stay there and nothing was said. Inconsistency between different Gardai is bad enough, but from the same person? I'm confused.

gokgok

i was stopped once. i was driving along the bus lane, saw a guard bike and went onto the the line between the lanes. He stopped me to tell me to use the bus lane as it was safer than going along the line as someone might open thir door. Nice Guard

MrPudding

gokgok wrote:

i was stopped once. i was driving along the bus lane, saw a guard bike and went onto the the line between the lanes. He stopped me to tell me to use the bus lane as it was safer than going along the line as someone might open thir door. Nice Guard

It is good to see some sensible policing. Anytime I am in Dublin I use the buslanes. i have passed plenty of peelers with no issue.

MrP

carsQhere

Run_to_da_hills wrote:

I am curious to know has any biker ever been done for using bus lanes?

I have. 60 Euro fine, no points though. Got done for using the bus lane in Galway of all places!

Been using bus lanes in Dublin for over 10 years without a ticket. Got a few lectures though.

I hear that on the Buslane on the N4 inbound, bikes get "done" quite often. I use the Finglas QBC & City Centre ones mostly.

typh00n

Been using the stillorgan, QBC for over a year now during rush hour, passed nemerous checkpoints and never been stopped.

Just ride with care and not to fast and everything is good

Although, saw one guy on a BMW tear past me and he was stopped by the Garda for speeding more then been in the bus lanes I presume.....Either way he was stopped helmet off and getting an ear full

Reckon most garda are ok with driving in the bus lane

saying that I will probably be stopped tonight on the way home

Keith186

I never got stopped but I seen someone else getting pulled over, probably talked there way out of it. There was a trial done in N. Ireland last year or year before and they let bikers use the bus lanes, apparently it cut the number of deaths so that's what I'm gonna say if I'm pulled over. I'm more concerned with my own safety than penalty points! I've drove past biker gardai who were hiding behind signs in bus lanes pretty slowly and they never even looked at me.

Dara Robinson

Been stopped the very odd time over the years. Good awul Gay Burne is trying to make it legal. fingers crossed

Hotblack Desiato

:rolleyes: MAG Ireland have been plugging away on this issue for years before Bono gave Gaybo that Harley...

vektarman

I feel sorry for moped riders when their bikes are restricted to 50KPH and they have to use dual carraigeways like the chapelizod by-pass where the speed limit is 80KPH, in circumstances like this they should be allowed to use the bus lane that runs alongside.