Bus lane usage

degsie

Simple question. Why don't Dublin drivers use a bus lane as a normal driving lane outside of the posted hours? This has always baffled me.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

sshhhh dont tell them !

corktina

sssh.....many of us do!

Marsden

Most cars driven around Dublin lack clocks, making it hard for the drivers to determine if its after 7. Rather than risking two penalty points and a fine, they choose to stick to the normal lanes. FACT

_Kaiser_

Actually.. is it true that a bus lane MUST have a sign at the start of it detailing the hours of operation for it to be legal?

There's one just up the road from the office here that just has the road markings and while most cars use it regardless, it can't hurt to check..

Jesus.

For me its just the default lane. Using the same roads every day for years, you don't be thinking about which bus lane is open or which one is closed and what time it is. If on the odd occasion I notice that the Lane is open I might use it.

But other than that, it just doesn't enter my mind.

ballooba

Marsden wrote: »

Most cars driven around Dublin lack clocks, making it hard for the drivers to determine if its after 7. Rather than risking two penalty points and a fine, they choose to stick to the normal lanes. FACT

Is driving in a bus lane a penalty point offence? FACT?

Honey-ec

Because for the most part, the times that the bus lanes are "open" are the times where traffic is so light that there's little to no advantage to be gained by using the bus lane anyway.

Tallon

The amount of people that don't use them is hilarious!

I LOVE going into town shopping on a Sunday morning and cruising by the whole line of traffic from Islandbridge to Heauston station

I especially like the discussed looks I get as I pass by said morons

A Gardai bike once passed me and gave me a nod as I was pottering down it

jimgoose

I honestly think it just never occurs to most people that there are times when they aren't bus lanes.

ballooba wrote: »

Is driving in a bus lane a penalty point offence? FACT?

No it isn't.

Wibbs

degsie wrote: »

Simple question. Why don't Dublin drivers use a bus lane as a normal driving lane outside of the posted hours? This has always baffled me.

I hear ya. A while back I was driving on one that went open for all at 7 PM and the traffic was fair backed up on the main lanes. Hundreds of cars. Anyway I had people staring, honking their horns and a few gesticulating at me when I stopped at each set of lights on the road. There are an awful lot of sheep out there. I was once stopped by a Garda on one. Out with his book, the satisfied air of a man doing his job. Right in front of where I stopped was a "bus lane not in use" sign. When I pointed this out he was cool about it though. Sez he with a smile "Oh...... OK, this never happened, we've never met and I'll just get back on me bike and go for a lie down".

uck51js9zml2yt

a bigger question is why do we have 24 hour bus lanes when we don't have a service to match?

alias no.9

ballooba wrote: »

Is driving in a bus lane a penalty point offence? FACT?

Not specifically. Failure to comply with lane markings is a 1 point uncontested or 3 on conviction offence and seems like a good catch all but I've no idea if it's being enforced in the instance of using operational bus lanes.

Tallon

Marsden wrote: »

Most cars driven around Dublin lack clocks, making it hard for the drivers to determine if its after 7. Rather than risking two penalty points and a fine, they choose to stick to the normal lanes. FACT

hahahahahahah

Oh lord this is the stupidest post I've seen in a very long time

The fact that you put 'FACT' at the end of it, makes it even funnier...

RobertFoster

Honey-ec wrote: »

Because for the most part, the times that the bus lanes are "open" are the times where traffic is so light that there's little to no advantage to be gained by using the bus lane anyway.

I always find there's an advantage, especially at traffic lights.

Celly Smunt

Do all bus lanes have a set time or do they all have different times?

jimgoose

alias no.9 wrote: »

Not specifically. Failure to comply with lane markings is a 1 point uncontested or 3 on conviction offence and seems like a good catch all but I've no idea if it's being enforced in the instance of using operational bus lanes.

I don't believe so, not all the time anyway. I got nobbled a couple of years ago using the Stupidest Bus Lane In The Universe (the one on the Airport Road in Cork, as you approach the Kinsale Road Roundabout) and 'twas a €60 fine only. No points.

alias no.9

Maddox Grumpy Ant wrote: »

a bigger question is why do we have 24 hour bus lanes when we don't have a service to match?

There's a 24 hour Bus Lane near me that carries a single bus route with a maximum frequency of 1 every 20 minutes.
There'd be little or no reason to use it between 7pm and 7am even if it was open to all traffic though, the traffic is never heavy enough at those times.

Big Nasty

Tallon wrote: »

hahahahahahah

Oh lord this is the stupidest post I've seen in a very long time

The fact that you put 'FACT' at the end of it, makes it even funnier...

I thought he was kidding - at least I hope he was! :eek:

MugMugs

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I thought he was kidding - at least I hope he was! :eek:

I'm thinking it was sarcasm.

It was wasn't it?

Because the average Irish motorist has not a shade of interest in rules of the road or driving in general to even be aware the one advantage at off peak times.

whomitconcerns

i agree with the first posters...dont go around telling people..theres nothing like cruising home on a bank holiday passing by all the traffic queued up!

Del2005

Maddox Grumpy Ant wrote: »

a bigger question is why do we have 24 hour bus lanes when we don't have a service to match?

They where the hard shoulder, so you couldn't have driven in the lane before it was changed to a bus lane.

Del2005

Honey-ec wrote: »

Because for the most part, the times that the bus lanes are "open" are the times where traffic is so light that there's little to no advantage to be gained by using the bus lane anyway.

You know that we have a law, it's never enforced, that we are required to drive in the left most traffic lane unless overtaking. An out of hours bus lane is the left most traffic lane.

RobertFoster

whomitconcerns wrote: »

i agree with the first posters...dont go around telling people..theres nothing like cruising home on a bank holiday passing by all the traffic queued up!

I've always wondered about that one. If there's a Sunday bus service on, but it's a bank holiday Monday, can you be done for driving in the bus lane?

Celly Smunt

RobertFoster wrote: »

I've always wondered about that one. If there's a Sunday bus service on, but it's a bank holiday Monday, can you be done for driving in the bus lane?

Well buses usually follow sunday timetables on bank holidays so it's a contestable argument if you were pulled on it.Though best not to argue with the lads in green jackets.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

pmcmahon wrote: »

Well buses usually follow sunday timetables on bank holidays so it's a contestable argument if you were pulled on it.Though best not to argue with the lads in green jackets.

ive always put it down as the sign says monday to Saturday.

the sign does not says excluding bank holidays etc.

strictly mon - sat no exception

lau1247

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

ive always put it down as the sign says monday to Saturday.

the sign does not says excluding bank holidays etc.

strictly mon - sat no exception

the exception will be the 24 hour lanes

lau1247

pmcmahon wrote: »

Do all bus lanes have a set time or do they all have different times?

as far as I know (Open to correction) there are two types the normal and the 24 hours

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

lau1247 wrote: »

the exception will be the 24 hour lanes

indeed. I only used that as an example.


I just went on the basis if a sign did say monday to Saturday then its every Monday to Saturday. just nowhere on the sign is it bank holiday etc.

Big Nasty

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

indeed. I only used that as an example.


I just went on the basis if a sign did say monday to Saturday then its every Monday to Saturday. just nowhere on the sign is it bank holiday etc.

The point is most bus services run a Sunday service on bank holidays so Sunday rules should apply to bus lanes.

I chance it anyhow and never had an issue - yet!

dodzy

Marsden wrote: »

Most cars driven around Dublin lack clocks, making it hard for the drivers to determine if its after 7. Rather than risking two penalty points and a fine, they choose to stick to the normal lanes. FACT

Maybe 20yrs ago. Not today. FACT.

jimgoose

Now I'm scared. Two people have said "FACT" opposingly on the Internet - the Universe is going to segfault! :eek:

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

MCMLXXV wrote: »

The point is most bus services run a Sunday service on bank holidays so Sunday rules should apply to bus lanes.

I chance it anyhow and never had an issue - yet!

and busses dont run at all on week nights half the places but your not gonna get away with a 24hour bus lane either. I know its a bit different but that seems to be what your thinking.

"well the busses are running a sunday service so that sign isn't valid"

"well theres no nite link tonight so the bus lane isint operating tonight"

I just wouldn't risk it being honest

Marsden

Tallon wrote: »

hahahahahahah

Oh lord this is the stupidest post I've seen in a very long time

The fact that you put 'FACT' at the end of it, makes it even funnier...

The fact that anyone took it serious seems funnier to me. FACT:rolleyes:

charlemont

Down in the city of traffic lights, Bus Lanes and mentally challenged motorists are to be used to your benefit.. I'm getting some shapes thrown my way when I'm driving on the bus lane, The majority of motorists here have obviously never spotted the blue signs with the Bus Lane times on it.

Big Nasty

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

and busses dont run at all on week nights half the places but your not gonna get away with a 24hour bus lane either. I know its a bit different but that seems to be what your thinking.

"well the busses are running a sunday service so that sign isn't valid"

"well theres no nite link tonight so the bus lane isint operating tonight"

I just wouldn't risk it being honest

Now that's jusy silly, if it's 24hrs, then it's 24hrs regardless.

Tallon

MCMLXXV wrote: »

I thought he was kidding - at least I hope he was! :eek:

MugMugs wrote: »

I'm thinking it was sarcasm.

It was wasn't it?

I really hope so

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Now that's jusy silly, if it's 24hrs, then it's 24hrs regardless.

but if it's Monday to Saturday then it's Monday to Saturday unless the sign says so just like any other sign.

Big Nasty

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

but if it's Monday to Saturday then it's Monday to Saturday unless the sign says so just like any other sign.

True, but you're never going to get away with using a 24hr bus lane. I reckon most gardai would be lenient enough to say that BH hours don not apply to bus lanes (if that's in fact the case) and let you away with a slap on the wrist.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

MCMLXXV wrote: »

True, but you're never going to get away with using a 24hr bus lane. I reckon most gardai would be lenient enough to say that BH hours don not apply to bus lanes (if that's in fact the case) and let you away with a slap on the wrist.

oh the 24hours are a definite no go but for the monday I wouldn't want to get a guard in a bad mood and what not

Big Nasty

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

oh the 24hours are a definite no go but for the monday I wouldn't want to get a guard in a bad mood and what not

Once you're not egging on the punters you'll be grand!

K.Flyer

I always speculated that the reasoning for a 24 hr bus lane, even though buses do not run 24 hr shifts, was to give some advantage to emergency vehicles who might otherwise get caught behind some heavy traffic.
I know that some bus lanes would knock my theory but I cant see the logic behind some lanes being 24hr.
And yes! keep quiet about out of hours lane usage, its great if we are late for something in town or the O2 flying past all the cars on the quays who dont bother to read the signage.

degsie

K.Flyer wrote: »

keep quiet about out of hours lane usage, its great if we are late for something in town or the O2 flying past all the cars on the quays who dont bother to read the signage.

Oops! I've let the cat out of the bag :P Hope the cat is using the bus lane, less chance of getting run over :pac::pac::pac:

OldmanMondeo

I would leave them free, let the bikers use it.

whomitconcerns

Interesting that most people seem to say you cant use daily buslanes on a bh Monday....how could thus be verified as I have always used bus lanes on s bank holiday.

There's also the business between 10am and 12pm during the week on a lot of them...that's when you really pi55 people off!!

ted1

Remember bus lanes are marked out by continuous white lines , which are illegal to cross, so genreally the only legal place to enter or exit are through the gaps at traffic lights, yo enter or exit ag any other point would genreally be illegal

Seasoft

ted1 wrote: »

Remember bus lanes are marked out by continuous white lines , which are illegal to cross, so genreally the only legal place to enter or exit are through the gaps at traffic lights, yo enter or exit ag any other point would genreally be illegal

Well at least you didn't end with FACT.
Your statement seems to assume what you claim is fact all the same... can you find the legal definition of the bus lane line, and where it states it cannot be crossed?

degsie

ted1 wrote: »

Remember bus lanes are marked out by continuous white lines , which are illegal to cross, so genreally the only legal place to enter or exit are through the gaps at traffic lights, yo enter or exit ag any other point would genreally be illegal

Ah, that old chestnut. Well if you look closely the line differs from a normal lane separator as it is 'fatter'. This is just to emphasise that it is sometimes the boundary of a bus lane. You can cross the line anytime assuming it can be done safely.

K.Flyer

ted1 wrote: »

Remember bus lanes are marked out by continuous white lines , which are illegal to cross, so genreally the only legal place to enter or exit are through the gaps at traffic lights, yo enter or exit ag any other point would genreally be illegal

So by that logic it would be illegal to cross the white line of a bus lane to gain access to a business premises or your home during bus lane operating hours.

opti0nal

ted1 wrote: »

Remember bus lanes are marked out by continuous white lines , which are illegal to cross, so genreally the only legal place to enter or exit are through the gaps at traffic lights, yo enter or exit ag any other point would genreally be illegal

That's not true. The law on overtaking refers to a different kind of continuous white line to the bus lane one. All road markings have codes, such as RRM001 for a conventional continuous white line indicating no overtaking. The laws relate to these codes.

One reason why drivers don't see the plaques indicting hours of operation is that they're going too fast to read them. 78% of drivers break urban speed limits.