Bus lane confusion

[san]

So I'm cruising along in the bus lane with my hand out so I can get into the lane going straight and I hear an impatient car horn go behind me, I point down to the sign on the road which says Buses only, and also has a sign indicating that cars can use it to turn left. He undercuts me, drives past and goes straight.
I catch up to him at the next set of lights of course, and he pipes up out the window "It's for buses from 7 to 7" I say "I know, but it's left turn only any time of the day."

Wrong or right ?

 

[BentMikey]

Left turn signs are apparently not mandatory to obey, or so some posters claimed recently. Seemed convincing.

 

[redjedi]

I think I have something similar on my commute. I tend to move to the very right of the bus lane, give a good look over my right shoulder and sometimes a little signal to show that I'm not turning left but going straight on.

I haven't had any trouble, but then the traffic is usually quite slow moving.

 

[Blackandblue]

Isn't it academic? Driver should have waited for cyclist in front of him. His daft manoeuvre didn't even get him any further in the traffic.

 

[LOGAN 5]

So he undertook to drive down a lane with a turn left sign any time of day to go straight on?! Why? You met a nutter.

Mandatory signs are circular signs with white directional arrows on a blue background. The offence is "going against a prescribed sign" if ignored. If this sign was at your junction then he committed the offence

 

[rootes]

I have always thought timed bus lanes are a stupid idea as that cause confusion... for everyone

 

[Origamist]

I have always thought timed bus lanes are a stupid idea as that cause confusion... for everyone

The times of operation should be signposted though...

 

[zimzum42]

AFAIK the left turn only thing only applies during the operation hours of the bus lane.


Bus lane hours are great, you can avoid massive queues of traffic cos no one else seems to know it's OK to drive in certain lanes at certain times.

As for beeping you to get out of the way, that's just rude, even when cyclists are in the bus lane and I'm in it legitimately, it's not on to beep them out of the way, after all, one is probably still getting ahead of the queue even if you sit behind the cyclist

 

[HLaB]

The times of operation should be signposted though...

They usually are but most drivers round here are going to fast read them/ their observation skill are so poor that they just stay out of them all of the time.

 

[Origamist]

They usually are but most drivers round here are going to fast read them/ their observation skill are so poor that they just stay out of them all of the time.

True, I believe about 70% of traffic signs are ignored! That said, the other week I witnessed an angry cyclist harangue a driver for being in a bus lane when it was perfectly legal for him to be there (the lane was only in use between 7am - 10am) - the driver pointed out the sign and the cyclist spluttered and left the scene!

 

[rootes]

The times of operation should be signposted though...

no it jsut seems odd if you are going to have a bus lane why not make it a 24hr one?

it is not as if you need the extra capacity during off peak times so why not make it a bus lane all the time

 

[zimzum42]

because you can't park in 24 hour bus lanes. Many bus lanes run past shops/restaurants that rely on people being able to park at off peak times

 

[PrettyboyTim]

I have always thought timed bus lanes are a stupid idea as that cause confusion... for everyone

Very close to me there's a timed mandatory cycle lane... figure that one out!

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

There is a lot of confusion – I always understood that if no timings were present then a bus lane is 24 h 7 days a week – although a lot of them around here now state 24 hours on them.

There is an 8am to 7pm Mon to Sat one in Richmond – always amazes me that cars sit patiently in a long line of traffic outside it on a Sunday. I occasionally drive in it on a Sunday and get all kinds of dirty looks.

Re the op – sounds like he drives like a twit anyway…

 

[rootes]

because you can't park in 24 hour bus lanes. Many bus lanes run past shops/restaurants that rely on people being able to park at off peak times

that makes sense