Bus lane red lights.

[Swoop]

If a city decides that motorcycles are not permitted to use a bus lane then the legidlation allows that, but the city must erect signs saying "Bus Lane Motorcycles Prohibited". Its simple enough that even most city councils can understand it.

Queue debate on "Specifically Excluded" signage...

[Tink]

BUTTTTT

Recently maybe possible could have been the herald said maybe bikes can jump in the bus lanes... and the police agreed.

But heh like I said possibly... read it quite a while back... evidence is the law.

[Big Dave]

Queue debate on "Specifically Excluded" signage...

I reckon it's cue. I think both uses are valid - queue as in line up, but my Oxford says " signal for action : any conversational lull was my cue for asking a question.'

[The Stranger:Me]

I'm not your fucking mother.

Well stop behaving like an old woman and I won't treat you like one.

[Swoop]

I reckon it's cue. I think both uses are valid - queue as in line up, but my Oxford says " signal for action : any conversational lull was my cue for asking a question.'

You are probably right Dave. Being KB, there will be a queue of posts if the discussion starts...

[PrincessBandit]

Advice is worth what you pay for it.

Yep, especially if it's in the form of a fine.

i only stop for blondes.

So you're saying you don't "go" for blondes?

BUTTTTT

Recently maybe possible could have been the herald said maybe bikes can jump in the bus lanes... and the police agreed.

I have heard that, from time to time, the Herald doesn't always print things accurately...

[Big Dave]

Yep, especially if it's in the form of a fine.

Gots me them platitudes by the cliche load.

[PirateJafa]

Well stop behaving like an old woman and I won't treat you like one.

I'd never make a good old woman; I can't cook to save my life.

Being a dick on the internet seems to be my forte.

[Tink]

Yep, especially if it's in the form of a fine.



So you're saying you don't "go" for blondes?



I have heard that, from time to time, the Herald doesn't always print things accurately...

Nor does blardy geordies lol... !!!

[Big Dave]

I'd never make a good old woman; I can't cook to save my life.

Being a dick on the internet seems to be my forte.

[The Stranger:Me]

Queue debate on "Specifically Excluded" signage...

That is now clarified in the road code.

[ManDownUnder]

No, it is not solely for buses. The green "B" light is for all users of the bus lane.

Wrong - and what I write was personally confirmed by the then Minister of Transport Safety as this was the very anomaly I wanted to clarify.

The bus lane falls under the jurisdiction of the local council, so... in Auckland motorcycles are allowed to use it.

Intersections fall under the jurisdiction of Transit NZ who have said that motorbikes can not use bus lanes - so the bus lane section of road ***IN THE INTERSECTION*** and the controls (i.e. the "B") are not for motorcycles. Long story short - you can ride to the front of a bus lane and stop, have 3 or 4 buses behind you and when the "B" comes on... you have to ignore it by law and hope you don't get run down by 10 tonnes of Mercedes finest.

I rode up and sat at the top of Chinaman's hill and held up four buses years ago just to make the point. The ultimate irony is that I held up 3 or 4 buses, containing a total of ... 100? people, maybe more?

When the Green "B" light came on, I waited as I had to do. Then when the green for go light came on (general traffic) I went, and being on the bike I scooted through the intersection first and was away no sweat at all. Right at that point the bus lane merges with the left lane so the cars proceeded faster than the buses... effectively locking them out of the intersection and they quite possibly had to wait yet ANOTHER cycle of lights.

I expressed my concerns to the the Min of Transport Safety about the possibility of me obeying the law resulting in my being run down by a bus, and I was told not to worry about that because it's illegal so it wouldn't happen.

Thank God the laws of the land are superior to the laws of physics huh? I might get run down by accident otherwise.

All said and done - it's a bloody STUPID situation, but one that will only be remedied by either:
1) Intersections coming under the control of the council
2) Bikes being able to use all transit lanes
3) Bikes being locked out of all bus and transit lanes.

I'm picking #3 is the most likely so in the meantime we play nicely with the buses

[Big Dave]

Perfectly sensible to ignore a vacant lane that could be used without effect.
Progressive governments even encourage the use....oh yeah...I'm over that one too.
Lane split normally then.

[ffirman]

At least in Auckland motorcycles, are allowed to use the bus lanes, and that includes using the bus pre-emption signals or B phase signals.

Cheers

Fran

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auck...uses/lanes.asp

Key facts about using bus lanes:

* Bikes use bus lanes too! Buses, cycles and motorcycles are all authorised users of bus lanes, so keep an eye out for them.
* Driving, parking or stopping on the lanes is prohibited during the times they operate. If you are parked or stopped on a lane at the wrong time, you will be given a parking ticket.
* You can drive in bus priority lanes outside of their operational times
* Auckland City bus priority lanes can be used by the following vehicles only:
o buses. (A bus is defined in the Road User Rule as a passenger service vehicle that has more than nine seating positions, including the driver's seating position)
o cycles
o motorcycles, motor scooters, mopeds
o traffic enforcement and emergency vehicles.
* Cycles, motor cycles and buses are entitled to use bus lanes and therefore can take advantage of any bus pre-emption signals or B phase signals.
* Bus lanes on motorways operate differently than local road bus lanes in that motorcycles and cycles cannot use them.
* Taxis (cars or shuttles with nine seats or less) may not use the bus priority lanes.
* If you receive a $150 fine for driving illegally in a bus lane, you can pay your fine online.

[p.dath]

At least in Auckland motorcycles, are allowed to use the bus lanes, and that includes using the bus pre-emption signals or B phase signals.
...

This doesn't appear to be the Auckland Region Council by looking at the map. Remember Auckland is made up of (is it?) 5 separate cities that are co-located.

That being the case, the rules quoted only apply to central Auckland.