Taxis & Bus Lanes

ZYX

Why are taxis allowed in bus lanes? They are one of the most environmentally unfriendly forms of transport and they increase congestion as the taxis try to rejoin main lanes at end of bus lanes. Why not just ban taxis from bus lanes and improve general traffic flow for the rest of us

Random

It encourages people to not bring their own car into town. i guess someone might get a bus in and a taxi home or whatever.

Just a thought though.

ZYX

Random wrote: »

It encourages people to not bring their own car into town. i guess someone might get a bus in and a taxi home or whatever.

Just a thought though.

The problem is if the taxi brings you home, unless they get a fare back to town then they have the same environmental impact as the person who didn't bother getting the bus and simply drove to work and home again.

2qk4u

Its nothing to do with the environment, its simpy to allow passengers reach their destination with as little delay as possible.

Spook_ie

I was going to answer this thread, but then decided that I couldn't be arsed seeing as we've had so many threads about bus lanes and taxis in the last week....just thought it's almopst like me driving my empty taxi in a bus lane...except it's an empty post

mikemac

Motorcylces "unofficially" get to use them too :cool:

ZYX

2qk4u wrote: »

Its nothing to do with the environment, its simpy to allow passengers reach their destination with as little delay as possible.

But why and why taxis with no passengers? Why if you are in a taxi you get to "reach their destination with as little delay as possible" but if you are driving your own car or in a bus you don't?

dade

ZYX wrote: »

why taxis with no passengers?

eh so they can stop and pick up passengers without needing to pull across a lane to do so.

pipsqueak

dade wrote: »

eh so they can stop and pick up passengers without needing to pull across a lane to do so.

like they wouldnt do that anyway???:rolleyes:

Bluefoam

Taxi's with no passangers are not supposed to use the bus lanes...


... I think

pipsqueak

Article 32 of S.I. No. 182/1997 — Road Traffic (Traffic and Parking) Regulations, 1997 states that:

"(2) A person shall not enter a bus lane with a vehicle other than an omnibus or a pedal cycle during the period of operation of the bus lane which shall be indicated on an information plate.
...
( b ) Sub-article (2) shall not apply to a taxi or a wheelchair accessible taxi which is being used in the course of business."

What being "used in the course of business" is debatable...is a taxi on its way to or from a job "being used in the course of business"?

dade

available for hire would IMO be in the course of business so if they are out looking for work should they not be able to use bus lanes

didn't this come up before when they started to put more bus lanes in place and the taxi drivers where up in arms (what's new) because of the safety aspect of it?

lazy-biker

taxis are allowed use bus lanes as they are PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES as are limos etc etc

they are allowed to use them without out passengers once they are clocked on

but who the hell can say weather they are on or off during the day

pipsqueak

I used to live near glasnevin and waliked to work every morning in town. Finglas road from 7am to 9am every morning was jam packed. There is a bus lane running the length of the finglas rd and a school at the end (st joesephs I think).
EVERY morning i would see taxis flying down the buslane while the regular lane was chock a block not budging and at the bottom just at the lights on prospect way a few taxis would pull in and school kids would get out. Nothing wrong with that you might say but when the kids turn to their driver in and say "thanks ma/da see ya later" you begin to wonder to yourself are taxis ever so slightly taking the piss??

The taxi with the mammy/daddy would then pull across the box junction and fly back to bed em em i mean work in the city centre of dublin via finglas rd/m50/n3/n4 along with incoming traffic!!

Jaysoose

Because Taxi drivers are exempt from the rules of the road, for example they are allowed to park anywhere they like as long as they put the hazards on :rolleyes: Also they dont have to indicate to merge in traffic or show any respect for other road users except their taxi brethren.

And dont get me started on how hard it is to make a living at this "bleeeedin game nowadays"":mad: