Gardai in the bus lane.

Big Davey

It is my understanding that the bus lane is for busses and taxis but not for Garda vehicles correct ?
While stopped in traffic I recently saw a guy get pulled over by a Garda vehicle for driving in a bus lane the ticket or whatever details were taken and then the Gardai drove off. I joked to my friend sitting beside me that " if it was me who just got pulled over I would have followed the Gardai back up the bus lane and dragged them out of the car and made a citizens arrest for them driving illegally in a bus lane" lol but maybe .....................

chubba1984

You do realise that rules of the road do not apply to gardai in the course of duty right....

Good luck trying to make a citizens arrest...

Ten of Swords

Yes, drag them to the nearest garda station! That'll end well

smcgiff

*sigh*

Royal Irish

Who's going to pull them over for driving in the bus lane, the coast guard?

dmc17

Too right OP. If you see them acting suspiciously again you should follow them, pull them over and arrest them. You can get the flashing police light thingy on your smartphone too

I would also be willing to contribute towards a dash cam if you'll post the video!

Mikros

Emergency vehicles, including the Gardaí can use bus lanes. Shock. I'd much prefer them to sit in traffic with the rest of us :rolleyes:

Days 298

Hopefully a taxi driver will pull them over or maybe an angry cyclist will confront them

Sir Arthur Daley

Do the guard cars pay road tax? :rolleyes:

Big Davey

Mikros wrote: »

Emergency vehicles, including the Gardaí can use bus lanes. Shock. I'd much prefer them to sit in traffic with the rest of us :rolleyes:

Is that a fact or an opinion ? It is my understanding they should wait in traffic like the rest of us unless they are on a call.

Big Davey

chubba1984 wrote: »

You do realise that rules of the road do not apply to gardai in the course of duty right....

Good luck trying to make a citizens arrest...

Is going back to the station for a cuppa considered "course of duty" ? Can they use the bus lane then ?

dmc17

Big Davey wrote: »

Is going back to the station for a cuppa considered "course of duty" ? Can they use the bus lane then ?

What if they were on their way to a bank job or something and you arrested them all? You'd look a right tit then!

Aestivalis

Some people will find issues with everything I guess.

Moved from After Hours. Motors charter now applies.

Guy:Incognito

Days 298 wrote: »

Hopefully a taxi driver will pull them over or maybe an angry cyclist will confront them

Only one with a fare onboard though

doolox

They can doub;e park on double yellow lines, go the wrong way down one way streets in fact do anything they like and say "it is the course of their duties". Who is going to contradict them???? Another guard???

Days 298

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Only one with a fare onboard though

Funny fact. Taxi drivers consider the bus lane theirs even outside of the designated hours. Please it's my VIP lane while everyone else queues.

No Pants

chubba1984 wrote: »

You do realise that rules of the road do not apply to gardai in the course of duty right....

I never understood why that is. I think that when the blues and twos aren't on, then the same rules should apply to them and I can't think of a reason why they should not.

Boaty

People love to complain about Gardai.
If they had to abide by the rules of the road people would be complaining of how they just sit in traffic instead of patrolling the streets.

No Pants

Boaty wrote: »

People love to complain about Gardai.
If they had to abide by the rules of the road people would be complaining of how they just sit in traffic instead of patrolling the streets.

I don't think people would be complaining about Gardai driving around and obeying the same rules as other road users.

Victor

No Pants wrote: »

I never understood why that is. I think that when the blues and twos aren't on, then the same rules should apply to them and I can't think of a reason why they should not.

So, let us say there is a burglary. Do you want them to make a silent approach and catch the burglars or use blues and twos and alert them?

Now, some gardaí do take it a bit far (parked on the footpath in a bus stop), but they need to be allowed flexibility.

Mikros

Big Davey wrote: »

Is that a fact or an opinion ? It is my understanding they should wait in traffic like the rest of us unless they are on a call.

A fact. Section 87, Road Traffic Act 2010.

With the exception of dangerous driving and drink driving offences, the Road Traffic Acts do not apply to emergency vehicles (Garda, ambulance, fire service) driving in the course of their duty. Doesn't remove their duty of care to other motorists - so if they are involved in a collision the usual civil liabilities would still apply.

Boaty

No Pants wrote: »

I don't think people would be complaining about Gardai driving around and obeying the same rules as other road users.

They will be complaining when Gardai arrive 2 or 3 minutes later than they should because they were stuck in traffic because they had to obey normal rules of the road when awaiting a call.

Esel

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Only one with a fare onboard though

Taxi driver: "I am allowed to use the bus lane when I have been engaged for a fare even though i have not yet collected that fare".

Garda: "Move on."

Days 298 wrote: »

Funny fact. Taxi drivers consider the bus lane theirs even outside of the designated hours. Please it's my VIP lane while everyone else queues.

A fact that not many drivers know: it is an offence to not drive in the leftmost lane (even it it is sometimes a bus lane) unless it it unsafe to do so. So, even though the leftmost lane is a bus lane until 1900 hours, you should/must use it after that time... Until the start-time next morning, obviously,,,

irishmover

Next you'll say an Ambulance or Fire Service shouldn't be allowed use the bus lane.

Any excuse to complain about the Gardai.

wotswattage

WikiHow wrote: »

Do the guard cars pay road tax? :rolleyes:

Does anyone? :rolleyes:

sawdoubters

I think taxis should not be allowed to use a bus lane

peteb2

I think private coaches should not either! Isn't it only for those picking up? i.e public hire.

corktina

what about a Gard using his blues and twos to get the cash in transit van and army escort through red traffic lights on the wrong side of the road? (Blackpool Cork yesterday). Is that emergency use?

djimi

Esel wrote: »

A fact that not many drivers know: it is an offence to not drive in the leftmost lane (even it it is sometimes a bus lane) unless it it unsafe to do so. So, even though the leftmost lane is a bus lane until 1900 hours, you should/must use it after that time... Until the start-time next morning, obviously,,,

This comes up here from time to time, but I dont think that anyone has ever provided any concrete evidence that this is the case.

The counter argument to this is that the bus lane is a seperate carraigeway, not just another lane, and therefore there is no obligation to use it at any time, as the main driving lane is a seperate carraigeway and as such you are driving in the left most lane when using it.

Im not sure if there is much evidence to support the above either, however road markings etc would suggest that this is the case.

TwoShedsJackson

Esel wrote: »

Taxi driver: "I am allowed to use the bus lane when I have been engaged for a fare even though i have not yet collected that fare".

Garda: "Move on."


A fact that not many drivers know: it is an offence to not drive in the leftmost lane (even it it is sometimes a bus lane) unless it it unsafe to do so. So, even though the leftmost lane is a bus lane until 1900 hours, you should/must use it after that time... Until the start-time next morning, obviously,,,

Ssssh, you'll be putting more people in my private express lanes!

sawdoubters wrote: »

I think taxis should not be allowed to use a bus lane

Right, so you'd prefer another 25,000 odd cars in the regular lanes with you then eh?

Pro Hoc Vice

Big Davey wrote: »

It is my understanding that the bus lane is for busses and taxis but not for Garda vehicles correct ?
While stopped in traffic I recently saw a guy get pulled over by a Garda vehicle for driving in a bus lane the ticket or whatever details were taken and then the Gardai drove off. I joked to my friend sitting beside me that " if it was me who just got pulled over I would have followed the Gardai back up the bus lane and dragged them out of the car and made a citizens arrest for them driving illegally in a bus lane" lol but maybe .....................

Such an arrest would be illegal, and you would most likely be done. A person can only be arrested if statute allows it or for an arrestable offence, which is an offence that can carry 5 years or more.

Arthur Beesley

There should be some sort of award system for silly thread starters. This one tales the biscuit. Well done, OP.

Big Davey

Arthur Beesley wrote: »

There should be some sort of award system for silly thread starters. This one tales the biscuit. Well done, OP.

Thank you. That was my intention but as it was removed from AH I have not got the response I craved :-) maybe next time lol

timmy4u2

WikiHow wrote: »

Do the guard cars pay road tax? :rolleyes:

Garda cars do not require the payment of "tax" but they must display a tax disc and that will read exempt.

No Pants

Victor wrote: »

So, let us say there is a burglary. Do you want them to make a silent approach and catch the burglars or use blues and twos and alert them?

Now, some gardaí do take it a bit far (parked on the footpath in a bus stop), but they need to be allowed flexibility.

Okay, so on an emergency call rather than actually using the lights and siren. On regular patrol? Follow the regular rules.

mgbgt1978

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Only one with a fare onboard though

Don't think so.
From the National Transport Authority website;
A taxi can use a normal (with-flow) bus lane only while it is operating as an SPSV – carrying a passenger, on the way to pick up a pre-booked customer, or plying for hire. Taxis must not use bus lanes if they are not operating as an SPSV – for example, driving home at the end of a shift, travelling on personal business, or transporting only goods and not passengers

PerrDub

Rather than post a new thread, i'll post this one here while on the subject of Garda cars...

If you were the 2nd car behind a marked garda car and the filter light went green, and the gards didn't move, would most people beep them or just sit patiently?

timmy4u2

PerrDub wrote: »

Rather than post a new thread, i'll post this one here while on the subject of Garda cars...

If you were the 2nd car behind a marked garda car and the filter light went green, and the gards didn't move, would most people beep them or just sit patiently?

On the assumption that the Garda driver has undergone a driving course and is therefore a trained driver and I was the first car behind him I would at first make sure that there was not a safety issue associated with his failure to drive on or that he was not being polite and allowing traffic to progress by allowing a driver in front of him to change lanes.

If I was the second car behind him I presume I would see how the driver ahead of me handled it.

TheVoodoo

corktina wrote: »

what about a Gard using his blues and twos to get the cash in transit van and army escort through red traffic lights on the wrong side of the road? (Blackpool Cork yesterday). Is that emergency use?

It is in the course of their duty, yes. Minimising stationary times for CIT vehicles that are carrying large amounts of money is fairly straightforward.

oden

corktina wrote: »

what about a Gard using his blues and twos to get the cash in transit van and army escort through red traffic lights on the wrong side of the road? (Blackpool Cork yesterday). Is that emergency use?

For an army escort for cash in transits,they have to be carryin upwards of 7 million euro

BMJD

PerrDub wrote: »

Rather than post a new thread, i'll post this one here while on the subject of Garda cars...

If you were the 2nd car behind a marked garda car and the filter light went green, and the gards didn't move, would most people beep them or just sit patiently?

I would beep the fcuk out of them, when they get out to beat me down I'd point to the car in front looking hugely confused.

PerrDub

timmy4u2 wrote: »

On the assumption that the Garda driver has undergone a driving course and is therefore a trained driver and I was the first car behind him I would at first make sure that there was not a safety issue associated with his failure to drive on or that he was not being polite and allowing traffic to progress by allowing a driver in front of him to change lanes.

If I was the second car behind him I presume I would see how the driver ahead of me handled it.

Opps...meant the 2nd car at the lights, me being behind the cop car who didn't move when the filter light went green to take the left... the car behind me didn't beep either...

No Pants

Boaty wrote: »

They will be complaining when Gardai arrive 2 or 3 minutes later than they should because they were stuck in traffic because they had to obey normal rules of the road when awaiting a call.

How would that happen? When the emergency call came in, they would just pull left into bus lane and proceed. No hold up.

djimi

PerrDub wrote: »

Rather than post a new thread, i'll post this one here while on the subject of Garda cars...

If you were the 2nd car behind a marked garda car and the filter light went green, and the gards didn't move, would most people beep them or just sit patiently?

Would I blow my horn at a Garda car? Why on earth would I do a thing like that?

I dont care if they are in the wrong; Im not drawing attention to myself for the sake of a few seconds of impatience.

ironclaw

djimi wrote: »

Would I blow my horn at a Garda car? Why on earth would I do a thing like that?

I dont care if they are in the wrong; Im not drawing attention to myself for the sake of a few seconds of impatience.

Too right. You'd be insane to beep a Garda car.

There are lanes, for example the Fosters Ave / N11 junction, when travelling into town, that if you are in the bus lane, you can get a filter left but the bus / taxi / Garda may be travelling straight on and have a red. Happened me plenty of times.

http://goo.gl/maps/KjwaU

Anan1

djimi wrote: »

Would I blow my horn at a Garda car? Why on earth would I do a thing like that?

I dont care if they are in the wrong; Im not drawing attention to myself for the sake of a few seconds of impatience.

ironclaw wrote: »

Too right. You'd be insane to beep a Garda car.

They're not the Gestapo, lads - a quick bip to wake them up isn't going to harm anyone.

djimi

Anan1 wrote: »

They're not the Gestapo, lads - a quick bip to wake them up isn't going to harm anyone.

Try doing it while driving a Type R Integra and see how far it gets you...

Like I said, I dont want to give them any excuse.

Anan1

djimi wrote: »

Try doing it while driving a Type R Integra and see how far it gets you...

Like I said, I dont want to give them any excuse.

Excuse to do what, though? If you're not over the limit or in possession of a controlled substance then you're safe enough, and assuming you're not absolutely laying on the horn it shouldn't come to anything anyway.

djimi

Anan1 wrote: »

Excuse to do what, though? If you're not over the limit or in possession of a controlled substance then you're safe enough, and assuming you're not absolutely laying on the horn it shouldn't come to anything anyway.

Each to their own, but I dont want them next to or near me for any reason at all if I can avoid it, and I certainly dont want to piss a Garda off sufficiently to give him a reason to looking for problems. Im aware that they are not the Gestapo, but why bring any hassle on yourself at all for the sake of a few seconds of patience?

Theres only a small handful of cars on the road that its best not to annoy; they conveniently plaster them in yellow reflective stickers and big blue lights so you know who they are...

Anan1

djimi wrote: »

Each to their own, but I dont want them next to or near me for any reason at all if I can avoid it, and I certainly dont want to piss a Garda off sufficiently to give him a reason to looking for problems. Im aware that they are not the Gestapo, but why bring any hassle on yourself at all for the sake of a few seconds of patience?

Theres only a small handful of cars on the road that its best not to annoy; they conveniently plaster them in yellow reflective stickers and big blue lights so you know who they are...

For me it's a matter of principle - the Gardaí serve us, rather than the other way around. I'll be polite, but not subservient.