2 quick question regarding bus lane use

highdef

Heading into Chapelizod from the N4 Palmerstown, there's a new bus lane in place. The poles for the signs that will say when the bus lane in active are not up yet so I'm guessing they are waiting for a certain date to commission it. As there are no signs up, I'm presuming it's a regular lane....the left lane of 2 lanes. For that reason, I use it every morning on the way to work. It shaves a bit of time off my commute as every queues in the right hand lane. Am I OK to do this? If my understanding of bus lanes is correct, I should be in that lane anyway. The thing is that a someone told me that they were stopped by the guards because they were using the bus lane, despite there being no signs up. They did nothing and told him not to be driving in it but he said that they seemed to be stopping all cars using the lane. Should they be doing this?

Secondly, on a similar topic, there is a section of Bus Lane on the Naas Road inbound between Killeen Road and the Old Naas Road that is in a similar state to the above. There is a pole where the bus lane times sign should be but it must have fallen off or something at some stage. Again, am I legally allowed to use this section? The following link shows where I am talking about. On the footpath above where the red car is, you can see the pole in question.

http://goo.gl/maps/7Iai7

Thanks

starviewadams

My brother got ticketed for driving in that bus lane in front of Hino's on the Naas Road a few months back,so that one is definitely active at least.

coylemj

If it's marked as a bus lane and there's no sign saying when it's active then I'd treat it as a 24 hour bus lane.

foggy_lad

On the Naas road section it does not stop being a bus lane because some signs gave fallen off or been removed. Afaik this section is a bus lane so you could get a ticket there. As for the other section going into Chapelizod are you prepared to spend money on a solicitor to find out? It may not actually have been switched to a bus lane yet as this must be done at meetings of the council so unless you follow those meetings with interest you will not know exactly when it becomes an official bus lane. If the meeting passed it as a bus lane on Monday evening and the signs are not put up straight away you run a high risk of being caught as the first to know about changes to traffic lanes and speed limits are the Garcia!

monument

coylemj wrote: »

If it's marked as a bus lane and there's no sign saying when it's active then I'd treat it as a 24 hour bus lane.

That may not be true. The legislation describes a bus lane as having the described road markings and the signs -- anything less is not a bus lane as described by the legislation, thus not a bus lane in law.

But foggy lad's point of asking if you have the money to spend to find out is an excellent one.

Also note: I'm not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.

Victor

While the regulations seem to require both the signs and the road markings, it would be imprudent to use them. Certainly, a garda can tell you to use the other lane (you are required to follow the reasonable directions of a garda).

One risk is that you would be involved in an incident, because you weren't expected to be in that lane (buses and taxis are taller than most cars and can be seen above other traffic).

In any case, the lane is there for buses, stop being obnoxious.

HonalD

Victor wrote: »

While the regulations seem to require both the signs and the road markings, it would be imprudent to use them. Certainly, a garda can tell you to use the other lane (you are required to follow the reasonable directions of a garda).

One risk is that you would be involved in an incident, because you weren't expected to be in that lane (buses and taxis are taller than most cars and can be seen above other traffic).

In any case, the lane is there for buses, stop being obnoxious.

I agree with everything said except the last bit.

There should be a piece of paper sent by the Local Authority to the Gardai for approval to "set in stone" if a bus lane is being introduced.

If a sign falls down - it doesn't mean that the lane becomes a free for all.

Your best bets are to:

1. Stay out of the lane;
2. Be nice to the Gardai; and
2. See if there is the piece of paper in existence.

highdef

Thanks for the comments and advice I'll keep out of the one on the Naas Road however the one in Chapelizod has never had signs as it's only a new lane so I'll treat it as the left lane until otherwise notified via a sign(s).
I never drive in bus lanes during the posted bus only times. In fact, I never even cut in early before a bus lane ends, much to the bane of any passengers I may be carrying. So many people think that having their left indicator on means that they can drive in the bus lane when they should not be there. When a bus lane is a bus lane only, I treat the solid white line as a brick wall.

It has caused annoyance to Gardai on the N4 inbound before the South Circular near Islandbridge because I will stop in the driving lane (obviously coming to a gradual stop and indicating so that other drivers behind me are aware of my intended action) waiting to pull into the left lane for Islandbridge where the bus lane ends, if there is a queue of cars illegally in the bus lane already. I have told Gardai there twice that all the cars in the bus lane should actually be in front of me waiting to pull into the left lane after the bus lane ends, they are breaking the road traffic act and that I am actually following the act and also not contributing to delays in public transport by not blocking the bus lane. The fact that I am stopped in the driving lane is incidental and a result of the illegal actions of dozens of private vehicle drivers. They go away at that point.

It's so rare that a gaurd will do someone for queuing in a bus lane although I did see it once at this very spot when a guard walked along beside each car and gave them a ticket. I had a broad smile on my face that day like this ->

Capt'n Midnight

regardless of whether it's a bus lane or not, you are not allowed undertake

and those speed bumps are awful

highdef

The speed bumps aren't actually that bad....not half as bad as on St Lawrence Road further on. However, I only pass on the inside if the other lane is full and not moving or crawling along. I think they are both covered as occasions when overtaking on the inside is permitted - "You may overtake on the left when" - "Traffic in both lanes is moving slowly and traffic in the left-hand lane is moving more quickly than the traffic in the right-hand lane."

Oh and I have never practiced under taking.....sounds far too morbid for my liking