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SpankMe
26th October 2002, 11:51
While I was going around the bike shops today handing out the <a href="/forums/showthread.php?threadid=49">Kiwi Biker notice</a>, I found out that the Auckland city council has made the use of the green bus lanes by motorbikes legal :bigthumb:

At last, some good news for bikers. :)

I've been pulled over by cops and told not to use the bus lanes before. It is very unlikely that the police know of this change, so you can inform them next time they pull you over.

Nukles
26th October 2002, 15:25
hehe, even i knew that and i'm a foreigner ;) it's very useful to me since i live accross the street from Haldane motorcycles and work in the city on the corner of Whyndam and Albert. bus lanes make it a breeze for me.

wari
28th October 2002, 01:19
We should be demanding more bus lanes .... for the buses convenience of course.

SPman
28th October 2002, 16:38
Bus lanes have been legal for bikes for about a year and a half in Auckland City - but only the city. Dont try using them on the motorway or bridge, or the plod will take great delight in booking you!
They should be available on the motorways - much safer than lane splitting.

Nukles
28th October 2002, 17:01
very true about motorways but lane splitting is illegal there as well. only on municipal and rural roads.

lane splitting is a tricky thing as well. you're not allwed to do it between traffic and parked cars either.

here is why for those who don't know:

lane splitting is only a common term but it is not leagal to ride on the line on the ground. the reason why it is tolerated is because the road code allows for: "a motor vehicule to overtake another motor vehicule to the right within the same lane without crossing the boundaries of the road makings (lines)."

so technically when lane splitting you shouldn't cross the line to your right wile you pass a car that is on your left. a friend of mine got a ticket just for that, he wasn't speeding, he just crossed the line.

SPman
28th October 2002, 21:36
Very true.
It was explained to me in great detail by a cop, as he wrote me a ticket for obscured number plate!
However, I did put to him, that, if you crossed the line and eventually took up a place in the other lane (if you crossed the line), then technically, you would just be changing lanes, only taking a long time to do it.!
Also, you must have your indicator on when doing your "passing" manouvre
;)

Nukles
29th October 2002, 01:50
very true as well but i was more refering to the situation where you "pass within" when there is only one lane per direction.

that's when you run the risk of scoring a ticket the most because you cannot pass it as "changing lanes".

in Canada it's simple. we just can't do any of that. a motorcycle is to be considered as wide and long a a car on a lane and all drivers and bikers respect that. bacause back home if a driver disrespects a biker in 90% of the time he's in for a broken leg and a few teeth so they just stay away. but that's besides the point right now i guess :rolleyes: i tend to drift away from the point some times.

Kiwibiker
29th October 2002, 03:48
They did the same about 2 months ago in London makes a huge difference here with the traffic and all.. Just wish they would remove cars from the roads and all would be sweet

Nukles
29th October 2002, 04:10
AMEN brother ! :bigthumb:

this what we should do to car drivers
:roadkill:

Kiwibiker
29th October 2002, 22:11
Yeah I remember back in the 70's they had car less days
Maybe we should get an act passed to re introduce them.

Rewalise
30th November 2006, 18:24
I had heard that bikes could use the bus lanes and was, but didn't actually know for sure. It seems everytime I do a car pulls in behind me thinking I suppose " if he can so can I"

crashe
30th November 2006, 18:32
I had heard that bikes could use the bus lanes and was, but didn't actually know for sure. It seems everytime I do a car pulls in behind me thinking I suppose " if he can so can I"

Wow you hunted out a four year old thread........ well done.

Yep if you ring up Ackland City council they will send you a letter to carry with you should you ever get stopped by a nice police officer that still doesnt know the new/old rulings.....:yes:

NinjaBoy
30th November 2006, 20:30
Wow you hunted out a four year old thread........ well done.

Yep if you ring up Ackland City council they will send you a letter to carry with you should you ever get stopped by a nice police officer that still doesnt know the new/old rulings.....:yes:

to be pulled over by the only officer in Auckland who doesn't know about the most posted topic here is really really bad luck :dodge:

les king
1st December 2006, 18:45
yep and if you are in the fastfast (bikelane) against the wall (cos there is room on a lot of the motorway) they will charge you with creating an exta lane.$150 instant.

vtec
1st December 2006, 19:06
Haha classic "creating an extra lane" you say? Shouldn't they be paying you to do that. You're saving the government/transit millions by "creating an extra lane", and they book you.

sAsLEX
1st December 2006, 20:14
to be pulled over by the only officer in Auckland who doesn't know about the most posted topic here is really really bad luck :dodge:

well they haven't known about the realavent law since it was associated with the local councils , and now it is a nation wide law they are more confused, I mean FUCK it is so difficult to read the legislation and then figure out a plan of attack from there ........

BarBender
2nd December 2006, 19:07
Holy Schomlys....Was it illegal to ride in bus lanes?:shit:

0arbreaka
3rd December 2006, 23:09
I think it was, never stopped me though...;)

Swoop
4th December 2006, 14:24
Do a search on "riding in buslanes"... there are heaps of posts on this controversial subject!

The North Western appears to be getting looked at regarding buslanes.
This morning there was a bike cop sitting and waiting for buslane users. Didn't seem to take any notice of those of us filtering though. I hope he realises that all the empty passenger vehicles that are not a scheduled public transport service, are ticketable.:yes:

matdebat
4th December 2006, 14:56
just print out the legal guff from the LTSA website saying you can ride in bus lanes and put it in you jacket pocket. Show it to the cops next time you get pulled over and they go "uh" and let you off! Worked 3 times for me so far

Bevel
11th January 2007, 22:58
just print out the legal guff from the LTSA website saying you can ride in bus lanes and put it in you jacket pocket. Show it to the cops next time you get pulled over and they go "uh" and let you off! Worked 3 times for me so far

Exactly where do you find the legal guff to print on their site? I just had a look and their site is massive. I've written to Transit on this matter and they claim that their ban on Motorcycles on motorway Bus lanes is in the interest of motorcycle safety and they will prosecute offenders. In my experience the further away motorcycles are from cars the saver they are.

Someone had suggested a while back organising a rally to gate crash the official opening of the Northern Motorway Bus Route. A bloke named Francis de Groot rode up on a horse and slashed the ribbon at the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge before the officials could back in 1932. He had a right wing political motive but was quite a cool stunt.
A mass bike protest would certainly hit the headlines and be an opportunity to pitch our case for access. Commonsense hasn't worked as yet. Is it time for another approach?

90s
12th January 2007, 06:48
They did the same about 2 months ago in London makes a huge difference here with the traffic and all.. Just wish they would remove cars from the roads and all would be sweet

Man, I remember riding a pathetic styler-daimler-puch 50cc moped in the late '80s in the bus lane becuase as it had pedals it was classed as a bike :scooter: . As several couriers on dirty 'ol 500s screamed down the bus lane one morning who does plod pull over - me :shit: .
Fined 21 quid which I paid straight away, then queried it to be told "yes son, you are right, to appeal the fee is 24 pounds."

(caution - drifts a bit to an anti-plod rant , but then curves back round)

Later, on another small bike, I was pulled over whilst sat at the lights by another plod. They took great delight querying my Belgian motorcycle licence (I am NOT a belgy although I love the beer ... and chips :Punk: ). Dissapointed it was legal they asked if I was going to park up in a line of 30 motorbikes opposite. If you do, they said, we'll issue you a parking ticket. How about the other 30 bikes there I asked. No, just you they said :nono: .
So I left the bike in a side street where it was vandalised by kids :shutup: .

Big mistake for plod because that bike was my Dad's and he made mr fuzz pay all the damages :Punk: .

...

anyhoo, back to the main point, about time they changed the law to represent common sense. Esp good as contant 'green' use less fuel cries must mean becoming more bike friendly - parks, subsidies etc.