Marc Brett wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 8 Nov 2004:

On 8 Nov 2004 08:49:56 -0800, (Buttoneer) wrote:

I'm getting really quite fed up with the different crazy bus lane
rules all over even small parts of London.

What's the problem with making them all 24/7? Seriously. When traffic is
heavy, the buses get a lane to themselves, as it should be. When traffic is
light, there's no need for cars to use the extra lane anyway. And, of course,
it ends the confusion of when it is or is not a bus lane.

And when it is not in use as a bus lane there's usually cars parked all
over it so it's unusable by moving traffic anyway.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 6 November 2004 with new photos

Colum Mylod wrote in message . ..
On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 00:16:41 -0000, "John Rowland"
wrote:

"Marc Brett" wrote in message
.. .
On 8 Nov 2004 08:49:56 -0800, (Buttoneer) wrote:

I'm getting really quite fed up with the different crazy
bus lane rules all over even small parts of London.

What's the problem with making them all 24/7?

The problem is that one is not currently allowed to use bus lanes for
undertaking a car waiting to turn right.

What about using them when a carriageway is blocked by police horse
boxes? Shepherd's Bush Road for example, when they take over the
northbound side for boxes, traffic displaced to the middle (s/b) lane,
s/b traffic uses bus lane. And much use of bus lane to pass the rat
runners turning right. (The bus lane is policed occasionally by plod
hiding behind a bus shelter; lots of drivers crane necks to check if
the coast is clear and use the last 1/2 mi stretch if so).

What's the problem with people just staying out of bus lanes unless they've
read the sign and checked the hours?
TBH it's one more thing to decode: the signs are not standardised. As
others have said, some are 24h, some are Mon-Sun, some are At All
Times, some are At Any Time (when's that?) and the mix of 7-10 4-7
means distractions. California has no problem with controlled green
ticks and red Xs to control use of HOV lanes. London has missed a
trick here IMHO. If the road is heavily laden, keep the bus lane
reserved for longer with a red X (or indeed if emergency access is
needed); same with the congestion zone: illuminate the red C in
control times.

That's exactly it.

If you're on a road with a part time bus lane and are familiar with
the hours of operation it's easy to just pop into that lane and buzz
up the inside lane. What it doesn't help with is the occasional (and
you do get them) vigilante driver who thinks it is his or her duty to
try and block both lanes simply to prevent you from doing something
'cheeky' and because they have not read the sign properly. Happened
to me more than once. And no, I don't do it when the traffic is
moving.

Some of these signs are really very hard to decipher and/or take in
when you go past them on the entry to the controlled area.

And then you get those people who are in the right hand lane (because
they've not read the sign) and who suddenly decide they need to turn
left in front of you with little warning. They should (and could)
have been in the left lane and out of harms way.

Clear signage, whatever the rules, has got to be the way forward.
Personally, I'd prefer to see the hours standardised so everyone can
tell at any a glance what the rules are for the road at any one time.

On Mon, 8 Nov 2004 20:47:17, Marc Brett wrote:

On 8 Nov 2004 08:49:56 -0800, (Buttoneer) wrote:

I'm getting really quite fed up with the different crazy bus lane
rules all over even small parts of London.

What's the problem with making them all 24/7? Seriously. When traffic is
heavy, the buses get a lane to themselves, as it should be. When traffic is
light, there's no need for cars to use the extra lane anyway. And, of course,
it ends the confusion of when it is or is not a bus lane.

I'd go with that - as long as motor-cycles can use bus lanes at all
times...

(A motor-bike has *never* been known to hold up a bus, at least that's
what Google leads me to believe.)

--
Jim Crowther "It's MY computer" (tm SMG)

Always learning.

Jim Crowther wrote in message ...
On Mon, 8 Nov 2004 20:47:17, Marc Brett wrote:

On 8 Nov 2004 08:49:56 -0800, (Buttoneer) wrote:

I'm getting really quite fed up with the different crazy bus lane
rules all over even small parts of London.

What's the problem with making them all 24/7? Seriously. When traffic is
heavy, the buses get a lane to themselves, as it should be. When traffic is
light, there's no need for cars to use the extra lane anyway. And, of course,
it ends the confusion of when it is or is not a bus lane.

I'd go with that - as long as motor-cycles can use bus lanes at all
times...

(A motor-bike has *never* been known to hold up a bus, at least that's
what Google leads me to believe.)

Motor-bikes using bus-lanes are more likely to be involved in
accidents because they go faster than the traffic in the outside lane
and may not be obvious to other drivers and pedestrians until it is
too late (not always the rider's fault - but the risk is there just
the same). The buses also go faster but are much bigger and easier to
see.

And would you agree with 24hr bus lanes if you owned a small business
along a bus route? Part-time bus lanes may not be ideal, but are a
necessary compromise, unless you only want to shop at supermarkets.

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 07:50:58, UM Pston wrote:

Jim Crowther wrote in
message ...
On Mon, 8 Nov 2004 20:47:17, Marc Brett wrote:

On 8 Nov 2004 08:49:56 -0800, (Buttoneer) wrote:

I'm getting really quite fed up with the different crazy bus lane
rules all over even small parts of London.

What's the problem with making them all 24/7? Seriously. When traffic is
heavy, the buses get a lane to themselves, as it should be. When traffic is
light, there's no need for cars to use the extra lane anyway. And,
of course,
it ends the confusion of when it is or is not a bus lane.

I'd go with that - as long as motor-cycles can use bus lanes at all
times...

(A motor-bike has *never* been known to hold up a bus, at least that's
what Google leads me to believe.)

Motor-bikes using bus-lanes are more likely to be involved in
accidents because they go faster than the traffic in the outside lane
and may not be obvious to other drivers and pedestrians until it is
too late (not always the rider's fault - but the risk is there just
the same).

A biker would be foolish to 'roar' up the inside - they should use the
same care as when filtering at any time. 10-15mph faster than the
slow-moving or stationary traffic as a maximum.

The buses also go faster but are much bigger and easier to
see.

And would you agree with 24hr bus lanes if you owned a small business
along a bus route? Part-time bus lanes may not be ideal, but are a
necessary compromise, unless you only want to shop at supermarkets.

Granted. Personally I always check the bus-lane info, as often the cars
haven't spotted it's open for business, and sometimes bikes are allowed
anyway.

Indeed, not using an available bus lane when it is 'out-of-hours' is a
'minor' failure point on a driving test (car or bike).

--
Jim Crowther "It's MY computer" (tm SMG)

Always learning.

On Mon, 08 Nov 2004 20:47:17 +0000, Marc Brett wrote:
On 8 Nov 2004 08:49:56 -0800, (Buttoneer) wrote:

What's the problem with making them all 24/7? Seriously. When traffic is
heavy, the buses get a lane to themselves, as it should be. When traffic is
light, there's no need for cars to use the extra lane anyway. And, of course,
it ends the confusion of when it is or is not a bus lane.

you clearly don't have a buslane out side your shop/house

--
u n d e r a c h i e v e r