Almost stopped by guard!

vektarman

A strange happened to me earlier to-day, I was on my motorbike on the Templelogue road going towards terenure crossroads, the traffic was backed up so I had a look at the bicycle lane on the inside of the traffic and saw that it had a broken white line which to me meant it was part of the roadway and could therefore be used to filter through the traffic, which I did, however a guard stepped off the path ahead of me and held up his hand to stop me while putting his other hand in his breast pocket for what I assume was his ticket/summons book, he almost immediately looked down at the broken line markings and waved me on. I now have a doubt in my mind if I was in the wrong and he simply took sympathy on me (unlikely) or was I entitled to use that paticular bike lane and he realised his mistake, any opinions?

machiavellianme

Does your motorbike look like the image indicated on the ground?
No?
Well then, you have no rights in a mandatory cycle-lane unless you are:
(a) on a bicycle
(b) on a motorised wheelchair
(c) turning left (onto a sideroad or into a parking space)

Otherwise you broke the Law and he could well summons you if he wanted.
Unless of course the cycle lane has a time limit on it like certain bus lanes.

Fr Dougal

Apologies, duplicate post

Fr Dougal

machiavellianme wrote: »

Does your motorbike look like the image indicated on the ground?
No?
Well then, you have no rights in a mandatory cycle-lane unless you are:
(a) on a bicycle
(b) on a motorised wheelchair
(c) turning left (onto a sideroad or into a parking space)

Otherwise you broke the Law and he could well summons you if he wanted.
Unless of course the cycle lane has a time limit on it like certain bus lanes.

???
OP's post states

vektarman wrote: »

.....I had a look at the bicycle lane on the inside of the traffic and saw that it had a broken white line which to me meant it was part of the roadway and could therefore be used to filter through the traffic, ....

Therefore NON-mandatory

Rules of the road wrote:

A non-mandatory cycle track has a broken white line on the right-hand side.

vektarman, I think you are correct on this one

Krusty_Clown

Don't think you should be travelling in the cycle lane anyway, mandatory or not (undertaking on the inside), but you're as entitled to be there, as other road users. However, a bit of courtesy to our other two-wheeled brothers is good. The non-mandatory cycle lanes are there for a reason after all.

vektarman

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Don't think you should be travelling in the cycle lane anyway, mandatory or not (undertaking on the inside), but you're as entitled to be there, as other road users. However, a bit of courtesy to our other two-wheeled brothers is good. The non-mandatory cycle lanes are there for a reason after all.

Point taken Krusty, as a keen cyclist I'm always aware of cyclists using the lane and in this case no cyclists were in sight ahead or behind me, I should also have mentioned that traffic was stopped at the time, I'm always quite happy to stay in traffic once it's moving.

vektarman

machiavellianme wrote: »

Does your motorbike look like the image indicated on the ground?

.

After a close examination of my motorbike it does not look like the image on the ground, however images or symbols on the ground are not always indicative of the different vehicles that can use them, for example, and I don't want to sound flippant, if we were to follow that point would that mean that disabled badge holders could not park their car in disabled parking spaces just because their vehicle does not match the wheelchair symbol on the ground?

Luckycharm

vektarman wrote: »

A strange happened to me earlier to-day, I was on my motorbike on the Templelogue road going towards terenure crossroads, the traffic was backed up so I had a look at the bicycle lane on the inside of the traffic and saw that it had a broken white line which to me meant it was part of the roadway and could therefore be used to filter through the traffic, which I did, however a guard stepped off the path ahead of me and held up his hand to stop me while putting his other hand in his breast pocket for what I assume was his ticket/summons book, he almost immediately looked down at the broken line markings and waved me on. I now have a doubt in my mind if I was in the wrong and he simply took sympathy on me (unlikely) or was I entitled to use that paticular bike lane and he realised his mistake, any opinions?

Interesting I take that road each day as well- be careful though as generally from around the start of Dec there is a copper at the junction of Rathdown motors and got pulled over last year at the next crossroads by one P*ssed off copper- got fine never paid it and have not been summoned - past 6 months now as was ready for my day in court.

Only place I use bike lane at times being careful of the bikes is along the canal in places as it is too narrow and very dangerous to filter esp between Leeson st bridge and the barge.

gsxr1

you where lucky I think. They know we use it. Just depends if you got a cop in the right mood.

Any one who bikes it around Dublin knows fine well that 99% of us use every inch of tar to get by . Whether it is legal or not.


If you choose to sit in traffic, at the back then fair play to ya.

But you will be there quite a while;)

vektarman

It seems I wasn't lucky as I was entitled to use a non mandatory cycle lane, it had a broken line bordering it as opposed to a continuous white line.

Fr Dougal

On my 20 mile commute each way the only bit of cycle lane I use is the 100yard stretch of cycle lane inbound just between the Skylon and the Cat And Cage, but usually never when there is a bicycle in it, let them away and once it's clear I filter through. and I don't use it if the traffic is moving.