Bus lane question

Froshtbit

Stupid question that I cant find an answer to.

When you are driving on a 2 lane road that becomes a one lane road with a with flow bus lane, what is the correct protocol when you cant get into the driving lane due to traffic in the driving lane? I.e. you have found yourself about to enter the bus lane, have your indicator on to merge into the driving lane but there is too much traffic to do so safely. Do you drive in the bus lane and attempt to merge? Do you stop before entering the bus lane and wait your turn to merge? Anything else obvious? Obviously you should have prepared and prevented the situation in the first place but this is for after that is no longer possible.

I know it's a question I should know the answer to, as I do have my full licence quite a while but I cant find the answer. Besides, I think it's no harm to refresh your knowledge from time to time.

CiniO

What do you do, when the lane you are in is finished (f.e. there is a kerb) and you need to change lane to next one, but you didn't manage to do on time due to traffic?

Stheno

CiniO wrote: »

What do you do, when the lane you are in is finished (f.e. there is a kerb) and you need to change lane to next one, but you didn't manage to do on time due to traffic?

Surely the right approach is to slow down/stop, indicate and wait for a break in the traffic?

That's assuming you didn't plan ahead and realise the lane was ending and move on time to avoid the situation?

pa990

Froshtbit wrote: »

Stupid question ................

plan ahead, read the road.

Failing that, get some driving lessons

kona

Froshtbit wrote: »

Stupid question that I cant find an answer to.

When you are driving on a 2 lane road that becomes a one lane road with a with flow bus lane, what is the correct protocol when you cant get into the driving lane due to traffic in the driving lane? I.e. you have found yourself about to enter the bus lane, have your indicator on to merge into the driving lane but there is too much traffic to do so safely. Do you drive in the bus lane and attempt to merge? Do you stop before entering the bus lane and wait your turn to merge? Anything else obvious? Obviously you should have prepared and prevented the situation in the first place but this is for after that is no longer possible.

I know it's a question I should know the answer to, as I do have my full licence quite a while but I cant find the answer. Besides, I think it's no harm to refresh your knowledge from time to time.

Don't hold up traffic by stopping continue on and look for a gap. Usually provided by somebody half asleep in traffic.

Or try not to get into this situation by getting in lane.

wilser

pa990 wrote: »

get some driving lessons

Not sure how that would help, guaranteed, like here, different instructors would give different answers/suggestions

ironclaw

If its within the bus lane hours, you can't enter it. Simple as, that's the law. You have to stop and wait for a gap. Anticipation and road reading will prevent any loss of time, getting into that situation is the penalty for not doing so.

ThisRegard

kona wrote: »

Don't hold up traffic by stopping continue on and look for a gap. Usually provided by somebody half asleep in traffic.

Or try not to get into this situation by getting in lane.

More often than not there's a solid white line so should you be exiting the bus lane as soon as there's a gap, rather than wait for the lane to either end or the solid line to end?

keithclancy

Using a Bus lane out of hours is fine a far as I know.

Bus lanes have a solid white line, so can you cross this when merging (You should not cross a solid white line)

In Ireland nobody seems to merge properly (everyone seems to think you are skipping some sort of imaginary queue and tries to block you from entering the lane at the point where you merge on the end of the bus lane) so I just merge when possible.

Big Nasty

Correct answer: do not enter the road until there is space to do so safely. Do not use the bus lane unless it is out of hours.

Practical answer: drive her on and merge as quickly as possible.

Froshtbit

That's been my approach, I was just wondering what the Gardai would say / do if they observed you doing that.

@pa990; You'll notice that there has been a few different suggestions in this thread about what you should do. Clearly, I'm not the only one who needed / needs clarification.

Besides, everybody makes mistakes from time to time and it's nice to know the backup plan for when you have made a mistake.

Captain Chaos

keithclancy wrote: »

Using a Bus lane out of hours is fine a far as I know.
.

My instructer told me over and over that the correct road position is the bus lane when out of hours. He marked me down on my mock tests for not using them outside of the times. He said that would happen in a real test if you managed to do one after 7pm or whatever it is.

Big Nasty

Contrary to popular belief the Gardi tend to be reasonable people. If you use the bus lane to merge for no more than a few car lengths they'll generally be fine with it. If you carry on down the bus lane and try push your way in at the next junction expect to be done for it.

07Lapierre

Big Nasty wrote: »

Correct answer: do not enter the road until there is space to do so safely. Do not use the bus lane unless it is out of hours.

Practical answer: drive her on and merge as quickly as possible.

+1

A pet hate of mine is people who stop and refuse to enter a bus lane and wait for a gap to magically appear so they can then join the line of traffic....

Keep moving (match the speed of the traffic..makes it easier to merge), use your indicators and someone will let you in.

07Lapierre

Captain Chaos wrote: »

My instructer told me over and over that the correct road position is the bus lane when out of hours. He marked me down on my mock tests for not using them outside of the times. He said that would happen in a real test if you managed to do one after 7pm or whatever it is.

Your instructor is correct. We drive on the left. When a bus lane is not in operation, it is, in effect the left lane.

keithclancy

Captain Chaos wrote: »

My instructer told me over and over that the correct road position is the bus lane when out of hours. He marked me down on my mock tests for not using them outside of the times. He said that would happen in a real test if you managed to do one after 7pm or whatever it is.

Sure, but technically the only place you can enter and exit the bus lane is the beginning and the end as its a solid white line for the duration of the bus lane.

So if there is a solid white line to your left (and a bus lane) you are in the left driving lane because you shouldn't cross a solid white line.

Buck Turgidson

The traffic on the right hand lane should allow the traffic on the left hand / bus lane to merge, one-by-one, like a zip, so we can all get where we are going with minimum stress.

ironclaw

keithclancy wrote: »

Sure, but technically the only place you can enter and exit the bus lane is the beginning and the end as its a solid white line for the duration of the bus lane.

So if there is a solid white line to your left (and a bus lane) you are in the left driving lane because you shouldn't cross a solid white line.

Can't quote it Keith (But it is on here somewhere), but I believe the solid white bus lane, deep down in the legislation, is not the same as a continuous white line on a normal roadway. They are classed differently and you can cross them at will.

CiniO

Buck Turgidson wrote: »

The traffic on the right hand lane should allow the traffic on the left hand / bus lane to merge, one-by-one, like a zip, so we can all get where we are going with minimum stress.

Oh come on.
Don't be trying to introduce zip merging rule in Ireland, as it's even hard to make it work in countries with much more civilized road traffic...

We first should start with correct using lanes, basic right of way, or using of lights, as this seems to be a problem.
Trying to introduce zip merging here, would be like trying to explain differentials and integrals in primary school maths.