Bus Lane...

Ok so I just got a letter from Manchester Council stating that on 06/07/2011 I drove in a Bus Lane.

The thing is I didn't even know it was a bus lane, I thought that it was just the way in and out of town so I have been riding that way for the last 2 years and haven't had a problem. I rang the council and the dude I spoke to said that this particular bus lane is in operation 24/7; if that is true how come I have never been cought before?

What are my options here? Do I just pay the fine? I have requested to see the footage and they are posting it out to me.

[andrewsmith]

PM bluepete

or he'll be awakening soon

[timwilky]

There is no such thing as a bus lane round here in Chorley, therefore whenever I see one I treat it as a place not to go and read the signs several times.

As it happens I went in one today as I approached Blackburn. operational 7-9, check clock in car. OK to use. (How do they expect bikers to know the time, I have mine set to trip to estimate fuel), get in it. and feck me, there is a bus blocking the bladdy lane. Time to get out again.

TBH, I would have thought councils would want to encourage bikers to use the bus lane to reduce accident KPIs

Ealing council have just ended their trial of allowing bikes in bus lanes, and we're no longer allowed to use them. They say that it's because the number of bike accidents has increased, with cars turning across the bus lane and not looking for bikes. That's what happened to Soulkiss a while back.

It doesn't affect me very much as there's only a short section of bus lane on my commute route, but it's still a bit of a PITA.

Originally Posted by ant-g

if that is true how come I have never been cought before?

I work up at Oldham Council and know that all AGMA Council's have never taken up the ability to enforce Bus Lanes in the same way that other authorities have been doing (Eg, in London) and had previously been left to the police.

They have now all started to take up the Bus Lane Enforcement, so they're starting to implement it.
That's pretty quick by Manchester though considering it was only approved a couple of months back I think?


Which road was it out of curiosity?

[Paul the 6th]

sounds like they're skint & dreaming up new ways of making up for the funding gap....

[MisterTommyH]

Needs a national policy to allow bikers to use them.

Gets confusing going from one council area to another not really knowing whether you're allowed to use them or not. And the signs aren't particularly big.

Round here there are some that have been suspended, but the road markings are still all there....... bloody confusing.

[Bluepete]

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

PM bluepete

or he'll be awakening soon

No, don't bother. if the pic shows it's you when pay it.

May be worth checking the sings are correct.

Pete

I've just got a big fecking problem with them, end of.

Especially when they put them on busy but perfectly moving roads until the bus lane goes in, traffic problems increase ten fold, bus along every 15 mins at best, so the lane is sitting there doing bugger all.

They have just spent nearly two years doing work on the road that runs by the NEC / brum airport, part of which they have made the 40mph dual carriageway a bus lane, lucky to see a bus every 30 mins, it's a joke.

Useless cnuts who come up with these ideas don't ever use these roads so they don't care.

[andrewsmith]

well the bus lanes in Newcastle are "no car" lanes and I've never been done once in years of using them