Beefing up bus lanes.

On Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:28:04 +0100, Marc wrote:

snip

When it is
a bus lane a cyclsit can use them, when it's not a bus lane a cyclist
can use them, what's the point in wasting time reading the sign?


Oh dear - Round is not familiar with the law:

Most bus lanes may be used by cyclists as indicated on signs.

Or does he just not understand the word "most".

--

Per billion passenger kilometres

Car KSI 18
Cycle KSI 541
Pedestrian 358

(KSI : Killed or Seriously Injured)
Dft 2008 FIgures

Who says cycling is safer than walking?

Dave Plowman wrote:
In article ,
Simon Mason wrote:
Ours are labelled buses/cycles only and are full of cars during their
hours of operation, which means I have to cycle in the overtaking
lane to pass them all, which is the exact opposite of their
intention. I actually cycled past a learner driver in a school car
the other day and did a double take as it was in the bus lane as
well! Teaching drivers to break the law before they've even passed
the test.

Are you absolutely certain the bus lane was active? Round here people
seem incapable of reading the signs and think they must never be used.
Including learner drivers. What's worse is many get upset when others
use them legally.

Happens in my town all the time. You'll regularly see numpties studiously
avoiding using a bus lane (when they're entitled to do so) then swerve
violently across at the end of the bus lane to carve up someone they
perceive as "cheating" who has bothered to read the signs.

Tim

"Nuxx Bar" wrote in message
...

Ah, but that wouldn't achieve one of the two main aims of bus lanes: to
deter motoring by causing artificial congestion. Even Simon Mason
admits that that's the case.

I think it is fairly well known and understood that if you create a bus lane
and at the same time reduce the road space for other traffic, you create and
expressway for busses, and other traffic becomes more conjested. This makes
drivers make better transport choices. A few pence on the price of a litre
of fuel has a similar effect :-).

Funny how the authorities don't seem to
like to advertise the "deterring motoring" reason; you would think that
in a democracy, the majority of the public would be behind such a
strategy, otherwise the authorities wouldn't adopt it.

Arn't they? AFAICS it is only the drivers who insist on using the
"artificially conjested" roads who don't like it. Everyone else just laughs
at them :-)

Of course, as we know, the reality is that the majority of voters
certainly *don't* support artificially increasing congestion,

How *do* we know this, or is this a case of 'cuz Nuxxy says so?

particularly in these difficult economic times, but since when did the
patronising socialist loonies who have somehow got all the real power in
councils up and down the country care what the hell the public wanted,
or indeed have anything but the most obnoxious of nannying contempt for
them?

I suggest you write to your local MP.

"Tim Downie" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman wrote:

Are you absolutely certain the bus lane was active? Round here people
seem incapable of reading the signs and think they must never be used.
Including learner drivers. What's worse is many get upset when others
use them legally.

Happens in my town all the time. You'll regularly see numpties studiously
avoiding using a bus lane (when they're entitled to do so) then swerve
violently across at the end of the bus lane to carve up someone they
perceive as "cheating" who has bothered to read the signs.

Every time I drive in London I notice this. The place is full of bus lanes
but they are usually only active at certain times. A driver who bothers to
read the signs (which seems to be a small minority) can overtake queues and
queues of traffic all diligently avoiding the bus lane which they are
entitled to use. Some of them get annoyed that cars are using the bus lane
and then try to cut them off at the end.

"Andy" wrote in message
...


"JMS" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:44:51 +0100, "Simon Mason"
wrote:

Good idea from Bath where a bus lane restriction is regularly ignored by
motorists as they are in our city. Bus lane signs are to be replaced with
a
red circled "no motor vehicles" sign. Apparently, the present signs that
show buses/cycles only are "confusing" to drivers, so the Evel Knievel
sign
is being wheeled out.



If they use the no motor vehicle signs how will the busses use the lane
legally?

They normally put a little plate underneath which states "Except for
busses". Sometimes they exempt cyclists too :-)

mileburner wrote:


Every time I drive in London I notice this. The place is full of bus lanes
but they are usually only active at certain times. A driver who bothers to
read the signs (which seems to be a small minority) can overtake queues and
queues of traffic all diligently avoiding the bus lane which they are
entitled to use. Some of them get annoyed that cars are using the bus lane
and then try to cut them off at the end.


The problem with the London bus lanes is as you say there are lots of
them but there is no consistency in their times of operations. Its
usually easier to stay out of all of them than finding yourself caught
out on the times. Some I know jump around in time on different sections
of the same road.

Tony

On 25/10/2010 16:04, mileburner wrote:
"Nuxx wrote in message
...

Ah, but that wouldn't achieve one of the two main aims of bus lanes: to
deter motoring by causing artificial congestion. Even Simon Mason
admits that that's the case.

I think it is fairly well known and understood that if you create a bus lane
and at the same time reduce the road space for other traffic, you create and
expressway for busses, and other traffic becomes more conjested. This makes
drivers make better transport choices. A few pence on the price of a litre
of fuel has a similar effect :-).

"Better"?

"JMS" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:44:51 +0100, "Simon Mason"
wrote:

Good idea from Bath where a bus lane restriction is regularly ignored by
motorists as they are in our city. Bus lane signs are to be replaced with
a
red circled "no motor vehicles" sign. Apparently, the present signs that
show buses/cycles only are "confusing" to drivers, so the Evel Knievel
sign
is being wheeled out.

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Bus...l/article.html


That is an appalling sign (blow the picture up and look at it)

That is not a bus lane - it is a separate carriage way.

The decision to make "red circled no motor vehicles" looks well
overdue.

Looks like a standard 'bus lane' sign to me. If people don't know what it
means then they will be stopped and fined - the problem isn't the sign, its
the general understanding and police enforcement. If they were serious about
the bus lane, then they would enforce it. Changing the sign won't solve
anything, in fact it will cause a problem because buses are motor vehicles,
so the new sign will restrict the lane to cyclists only - buses won't be
allowed up there either!!

On 25/10/2010 23:07, GT wrote:

Looks like a standard 'bus lane' sign to me. If people don't know what it
means then they will be stopped and fined - the problem isn't the sign, its

It is, and it means that you can drive down that road in any vehicle.

the general understanding and police enforcement. If they were serious about
the bus lane, then they would enforce it.

They are trying to enforce it, that is why the courts are complaining.

Changing the sign won't solve
anything, in fact it will cause a problem because buses are motor vehicles,
so the new sign will restrict the lane to cyclists only - buses won't be
allowed up there either!!

There have been correctly signed 'No Entry' 'Except buses' roads for
decades, but they don't bring in money for the councils.

On 22/10/2010 19:44, Simon Mason wrote:
Good idea from Bath where a bus lane restriction is regularly ignored by
motorists as they are in our city. Bus lane signs are to be replaced
with a red circled "no motor vehicles" sign. Apparently, the present
signs that show buses/cycles only are "confusing" to drivers, so the
Evel Knievel sign is being wheeled out.

http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Bus...l/article.html

It's the wrong sign - there isn't a bus lane as such there. That sign
should only be used where there is at least one other lane available for
other traffic types.

That is a buses and bikes only road - the sign should the blue disc with
a white bus and bike in it - the "route for use by buses and pedal
cycles only" sign.

--
Matt B