Bus lane legalities

[stunz]

I use them all the time but have only just begun considering if it is in fact legal for me to use them?

[The Stranger:Me]

I use them all the time but have only just begun considering if it is in fact legal for me to use them?

Basically it is not legal on a motorway or if motorcycles are explicitly prohibited.

Oh and apparently "Bus Only" constitutes an explicit exclusion of motorcycles.

[stunz]

bummer. I had heard that we could use them, legally. We really only have them in the cities and burbs here between certain hours. Motorways are not long enough.

[The Stranger:Me]

bummer. I had heard that we could use them, legally. We really only have them in the cities and burbs here between certain hours. Motorways are not long enough.

You should be ok to use them then, unless, as I say there is an explicit exclusion.

[The Stranger:Me]

bummer. I had heard that we could use them, legally. We really only have them in the cities and burbs here between certain hours. Motorways are not long enough.

The govt passed the law allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes to try and keep things consistent accross council boundaries etc and remove doubt and confusion.

Then Transit said we'll have none of that so banned bikes from using bus lanes on roads they control (motorways) thus creating doubt and confusion.

Not content with that level of confusion they take it a step further, the law stated motorcycles may use bus lanes unless explicitly excluded by signage, so Transit puts up signs which say Bus Only (note the general exclusion) then we get tickets for using motorway bus lanes.

So all in all, the law passed ostensibly to remove confusion successfully created more confusion than existed previously, but hey, at least did so at great expense so all was not lost.

[snuffles]

not the ones in Welly, according to the cop that wanted to fine me $600 for riding in one

[ManDownUnder]

The govt passed the law allowing motorcycles to use bus lanes to try and keep things consistent accross council boundaries etc and remove doubt and confusion.

Then Transit said we'll have none of that so banned bikes from using bus lanes on roads they control (motorways) thus creating doubt and confusion.

Not content with that level of confusion they take it a step further, the law stated motorcycles may use bus lanes unless explicitly excluded by signage, so Transit puts up signs which say Bus Only (note the general exclusion) then we get tickets for using motorway bus lanes.

So all in all, the law passed ostensibly to remove confusion successfully created more confusion than existed previously, but hey, at least did so at great expense so all was not lost.

Well put! Succinct, to the point and made sense.

You're clearly not involved in writing legislation

[The Stranger:Me]

not the ones in Welly, according to the cop that wanted to fine me $600 for riding in one

Was it a bus lane on a suburban street?
If so you should be sweet.

If it was a transit lane (as distinct from a bus lane) you are probably required to have a specific number of occupants (often 3) which can be a little difficult on a motorcycle, but easy for bus. There is a distinction at law between the 2 and the bus lane laws don't apply to transit lanes.

The bastard is that they did such a great job of adding doubt and confusion last time most people don't even know what you can and can't do legally i.e. you can't ring the council cause they will probably put you wrong, it is quite possible the cop had it wrong, hell the govt web site even has it wrong.

[hellnback]

Some boring links to the council's...
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auck...uses/lanes.asp
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/projec.../buslanes.html

The both say motorcycles are allowed to use them except if they are a "Bus Only" or if it's a Transit owned lane eg. Motorways.

[stunz]

Some boring links to the council's...
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auck...uses/lanes.asp
http://www.wellington.govt.nz/projec.../buslanes.html

The both say motorcycles are allowed to use them except if they are a "Bus Only" or if it's a Transit owned lane eg. Motorways.

Cheers. This was the information I was after I shall print it and place it in my jacket pocket for future reference.
Guess I'm sweet to continue poshing past all them cagers in the morning then...

[Indiana_Jones]

That's pretty cool, might have to start using bus lanes from now on

-Indy

[Forest]

When it makes sense for me to do so, I will ride on transit's motorway bus lanes.

I haven't been pulled over or ticketed yet - but I expect it is only a matter of time.

This is one and only regular act of civil disobedience.

[Fub@r]

There was an item in last weeks Herald about suburban buslanes.

I thought you could only used them where specifically mentioned like on Dominion Rd in Auckland shows bus and motorcycle pictures.

In Herald article it said "all buses, motorbikes and cyclists can use", which is misleading as you can't use a motorway one

Anyways the general gist of the article was that the Auckland Councils caught over 2000 vehicles using the buslanes illegally in one mornings rush hr (hours for Auckland) with their parking wardens using video cameras to catch them all. Expect a ticket in the post