Bus Lane Cameras

MJohnston

I see today that they've just started their plan to roll these out in Belfast - drivers will get a 90 quid fine if they're caught.

Which begs the question - why do we not have these in Dublin? Have we had them before, and they failed to work, or has there ever been a reason given for their non-use?

L1011

I could see issues keeping an accurate sync to the databases of taxi and other allowed vehicles but nothing insurmountable

MJohnston

Would love it if there was a way to automatically enforce empty taxis in the bus lanes too, but I'm sure it shouldn't be hard at all to check whether a car is a registered taxi. One thing I've noticed recently is an increase in 'unmarked' private cars, limos and the like (maybe thanks to Uber) using the bus lanes.

Either way, it'd be great to have this auto-enforced, because there's no way the guards are ever going to be able to make an effective dent in it by themselves.

Aard

I seem to recall people getting speeding fines in the post from cameras on the (former) N11 around Donnybrook/UCD. Were there ever cameras out that way?

Schadenfreudia

Aard wrote: »

I seem to recall people getting speeding fines in the post from cameras on the (former) N11 around Donnybrook/UCD. Were there ever cameras out that way?

That was a notorious Garda "make your quota" speed check and was done by the old-fashioned hair-dryer.

Cameras to enforce bus lanes is a good idea if they'd agree to decommission any bus lane that is running a very infrequent (one per half hour or less) or no bus service.

That would lead to decommissioning a lot of bus lanes in the Dublin suburbs.

Aard

Are there many infrequently used suburban bus lanes? The suburbs are generally less congested, so space given to bus lanes shouldn't be so much of an issue.

MJohnston

MJohnston wrote: »

Would love it if there was a way to automatically enforce empty taxis in the bus lanes too, but I'm sure it shouldn't be hard at all to check whether a car is a registered taxi. One thing I've noticed recently is an increase in 'unmarked' private cars, limos and the like (maybe thanks to Uber) using the bus lanes.

Either way, it'd be great to have this auto-enforced, because there's no way the guards are ever going to be able to make an effective dent in it by themselves.

Empty taxis can't use the bus lanes? Where is that written?

Honestly curious

Aard

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/taxi-and-bus-licensing/taxi/operating-an-spsv/bus-lanes/

Taxis can use bus lanes when looking for a fare. But not contraflow bus lanes.

Tbh the term "bus lane" has become outdated imo.

MJohnston

Aard wrote: »

Are there many infrequently used suburban bus lanes? The suburbs are generally less congested, so space given to bus lanes shouldn't be so much of an issue.

N32/R139 maybe? Although this is actually NOT a bus lane, but has never been re-marked.