Very close pass by bus.

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Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
Cheers, I was mainly trying to pre-empt whatever reply I get from Stagecoach, which I'm wondering if they will claim as it's a separate lane it doesn't matter. I tend to take primary on a lot of roads around here, but don't on that hill as it's quite long and most traffic gives me enough room. I think the problem today was that there was a bus coming from the other direction, meaning that the bus behind me should have waited but didn't and decided to squeeze me instead.

Here's a picture of where it happened courtesy of google streetview, it's not a pleasant place as you're boxed in against a wall with lamp posts in the cycle lane (which I'm campaigning to have moved onto the top of the wall!).
View attachment 9693

Here is the pic with the levels adjusted.
headington hill[1]_1.jpg


It doesn't look ideal but then it would probably be even worse without the cycle lanes. I guess the bus driver will state he was merely driving within his lane which he may well have been which won't be much comfort to you. I think the fact that 2 buses travelling in opposite directions happened to pass each other just at the point they were passing you added to the shock of having a bus close pass you albeit not in the cycle lane. If the buses had collided because the driver had moved out to give you more room then there would have been a serious RTA. I don't like buses and like even less Stagecoach bus drivers as I have found them to be aggressive twunts but the bus driver here from what you have writ doesn't appear to have done anything wrong. Sorry. Ok he might have been more considerate, slowed down and waited or even stopped for the oncoming bus to pass then pull out to pass you, but this would seem over egging it given that there is a designated cycle lane for cyclists. I think any issues you have with what happened have to be laid at the door of the local authority who would be responsible for this stretch of road.
 

CopperBrompton

Bicycle: a means of transport between cake-stops
Location
London
I can see it was done with good intentions. The solid white lines instruct cars that they must not infringe on the cycle lane, but it's way too narrow even without the lamp-posts, and the solid lines will lead many drivers to mistakenly expect cyclists to remain within the lane.
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
If the buses had collided because the driver had moved out to give you more room then there would have been a serious RTA.
If the driver had waited behind the cyclist for the other bus to pass before overtaking there would have been no RTA at all. Amazing, huh?
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
If the driver had waited behind the cyclist for the other bus to pass before overtaking there would have been no RTA at all. Amazing, huh?


Errr ..............not quite. If what actually happened was re-enacted then there would be no RTA whether bus with bus or bus with cyclist. Period. The OP was lamenting that he felt he was close passed which indeed he may well have been, but the bus driver(s) have not done anything wrong according to the road markings. Have they driven without due care and attention? Maybe, but then maybe not. It is a tricky one.

Perhaps the local authority could install further road safety measures such as a length of crash barrier? Or the old favourite paint the cycle lane red or paint SLOW on the road or put up a warning sign "Cyclists". They could do more to protect cyclists' safety.

I have no reason to doubt the OP or contributions from others. There is no way I would cycle on this road. Avoid.
 

sabian92

Über Member
+1
I just don't see the logic in it. The road looks narrow enough as it is.

Indeed. It's like they had a cycle lane quota and had a map with somebody throwing darts at it and they painted one there because they weren't meeting it.

If the driver had waited behind the cyclist for the other bus to pass before overtaking there would have been no RTA at all. Amazing, huh?

Exactly. Driver was impatient and impatience in this case could have caused a cyclist harm which is wrong.
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
Indeed. It's like they had a cycle lane quota and had a map with somebody throwing darts at it and they painted one there because they weren't meeting it.



Exactly. Driver was impatient and impatience in this case could have caused a cyclist harm which is wrong.

But there was no harm caused or indeed RTA, just a shook up cyclist from a bus passing by which may well have been doing so legitmately according to the road markings.
 

sabian92

Über Member
Legitimately doesn't mean safely though. It's still not paying attention.
 

Glow worm

Legendary Member
Location
Near Newmarket
Here's a picture of where it happened courtesy of google streetview, it's not a pleasant place as you're boxed in against a wall with lamp posts in the cycle lane (which I'm campaigning to have moved onto the top of the wall!).

That's an awful bit of road for cyclists. I was wondering if that is Headington Hill? If so would the attached alternative routes be any good? The northern one goes through some halls of residence (and a park?) that 20 years or so ago you could cycle through (I had a girlfriend who lived there). The Southern one looks a bit lengthy but probably safer (though you'll have to dodge all the Hoorays at Oxford Poly - or whatever the feckin place is called nowadays!)
 

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zeb

Active Member
It is probably safer to take primary position on the last bit of the Hill then.
 
If it's a solid white line cycle lane, as in technically a separate lane which vehicles must not enter, do the highway code rules apply on overtaking?
My reading of it
- the solid white line says one thing and one thing only - motor vehicles must not enter it. Nothing else, not even in the wildest dream fantasies of stagecoach drivers.
- the guidance on overtaking stands, entirely unaffected. (I know of at least one driver who had to do a few days re-training due to passing a cyclist in a cycle lane (dotted white line) too close.)

a bus passing ... legitmately according to the road markings.
Sorry - that's a red herring. White lines never tell a driver when he can legitimately pass - only when he must not cross them.

Nothing would tempt me to use that cycle lane - I'd happily take a lengthy detour to avoid that route completely.
 

adds21

Rider of bikes
Location
North Somerset
Is that Headington Road? If it was me, that's one of the few places where I'd ride on the pavement when going uphill (although not down, because you can keep with the flow of traffic).

It's been a few years since I've been there, but I think there's a wide pavement on the left, on top of that wall.

I don't normally condone pavement cycling, but I think sometimes one has to use common sense.

There, that's probably opened a can of worms :whistle:
 
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