# Bus Lane Penalty Points



## JackC (12 Apr 2007)

Is driving in the Bus lane a penalty point offence?


----------



## ACA (12 Apr 2007)

There are two offences listed on the penalty points list that could encompass driving in the bus lane,
1) Failure to comply with prohibitory traffic signs - 1 point or 3 points if going to court
2) Failure to comply with traffic lane markings - 1 point or 3 points if going to court
Both incur a fine or €60, if paid before court or €90, if it goes to court.

Saying that, it's not specifically listed so maybe it would be just classed as a misdemeanor. Did you get a ticket?


----------



## JackC (13 Apr 2007)

No, I didn't get a ticket but I was just wondering as I have recently started to use the bus lane to avoid some traffic.

Hopefully neither of these points cater for Bus Lanes.


----------



## Niallman (13 Apr 2007)

It is a BUS lane after all, not a 'Bus and/or car' lane. Its an ignorant thing to do though whether its a penalty point offence or not. Do you expect to be let back in to the queue once you get to the top of the bus lane?


----------



## DaveD (13 Apr 2007)

JackC said:


> No, I didn't get a ticket but I was just wondering as I have recently started to use the bus lane to avoid some traffic.
> 
> Hopefully neither of these points cater for Bus Lanes.



As Niallman says, its a BUS lane, provided for Buses and bicycles, not for you or anyone else to avoid traffic. You're obviusly aware that you shouldn't be using them and willing to accept the risk of a fine but not the points. 

That said and my grumpy morning rant over I believe you will get penalty points as its a driving offence.

D


----------



## RS2K (13 Apr 2007)

Get a cop in a bad mood and it's Pointsville, Arizona 

p.s. Don't do it. It's ignorant and inconsiderate to other compliant road users. Leave earlier if need be.


----------



## bacchus (13 Apr 2007)

DaveD said:


> its a BUS lane, provided for Buses and bicycles,


 
Interestingly enough, and from my own experience of driving motorbikes, i have very often be directed by guards to use the bus lane. This seems to be a gray area.  Though, from a legal point of view, bus lanes are only for buses and taxi carrying customers.

I have often wonder what case would i have should i have been intructed by a guard to use the bus lane, to be stopped by another guard miles down the road and fined?

My 0.001c...


----------



## gianni (13 Apr 2007)

RS2K said:


> Don't do it. It's ignorant and inconsiderate to other compliant road users. Leave earlier if need be.


 
Excellent point.


----------



## MandaC (13 Apr 2007)

Its nearly as bad to see people just letting them out at the end of the bus lane.  If people just left them sitting in the lane for a while they might not be so quick to skip the queue the next time.


----------



## JackC (13 Apr 2007)

Folks,

Sit in traffic or risk the wrath of some angry drivers like yourselves for using the bus lane? I definitely know what I would choose.


----------



## gianni (13 Apr 2007)

Sure why bother waiting at traffic lights either, half the time it's obvious that there is no one else coming the opposite direction....


----------



## ci1 (13 Apr 2007)

Hi JackC,

My father got points for driving in the bus lane, so theres no 2 ways about it. Its an offence.
he went down the bus lane to turn into our estate quicker (always a temptation) and they were waiting at the other end..

don't do it


----------



## gebbel (13 Apr 2007)

JackC said:


> Folks,
> 
> Sit in traffic or risk the wrath of some angry drivers like yourselves for using the bus lane? I definitely know what I would choose.


 
So you will choose penalty points then and higher insurance costs?? Because that is what you will get


----------



## Niallman (14 Apr 2007)

So JackC, if you were standing in a queue in a shop and I walked the length of the queue and stepped in front of you, would you not complain about it?


----------



## JackC (14 Apr 2007)

Niallman,

How about this?

There is a queue in the shop, everyone queing in the same one to go different places. You come up the outside of the queue becuase you are going elsewhere, would I be worried? No, the choice was yours.

All, I only asked the question of penalty points. If you all want to get hung up on it, be my guest. But at the end of the day it is my decision.

I would be willing to take the fine, but penalty points is a different matter.

Happy driving everyone and stay calm.


----------



## gebbel (14 Apr 2007)

JackC said:


> Happy driving everyone and stay calm.


 
.........and help everyone else stay calm by not using bus lanes when you are not supposed to!!


----------



## RainyDay (14 Apr 2007)

JackC said:


> Sit in traffic or risk the wrath of some angry drivers like yourselves for using the bus lane? I definitely know what I would choose.



You haven't got a hope in hell of getting away with this on an ongoing basis. If you try to be a smart-ass each day, it is only a matter of time before you run into;

a) a member of the Gardai
b) a contrary cyclist like me, who will snap a picture of you, your car & your reg number on their mobile phone camera and lodge their complaint to the Garda TrafficWatch phone line before you get to your desk.


----------



## Luternau (15 Apr 2007)

JackC said:


> Is driving in the Bus lane a penalty point offence?


absolutely.


JackC said:


> Sit in traffic or risk the wrath of some angry drivers like yourselves for using the bus lane? I definitely know what I would choose.


We only get mad when selfish people like you come flying past

Obvioulsy you value your time more than that of others, so the solution to your time starved life is to get a taxi plate and then you can drive in them to your hearts content, and not annoy other road users. Thought with a taxi plate you may become even more selfish.

Wishing you all the best for joining the list of drivers with more that 10p pts and do stay cool out there as there are lots mad drivers on the road!


----------



## gonk (16 Apr 2007)

Luternau said:


> absolutely.


 
Absolutely not! Driving in bus lanes is an offence, but does not attract penalty points (to the great relief of motorcyclists like me . . .)

See here: http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7424-1.pdf


----------



## Luternau (16 Apr 2007)

gonk said:


> Absolutely not! Driving in bus lanes is an offence, but does not attract penalty points (to the great relief of motorcyclists like me . . .)
> 
> See here: http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7424-1.pdf



Stand corrected on that. Dont know why its not. I do not agree that people should even contemplate using the bus lane, while others are taking their turn. Dipping in close to a junction ot turn is acceptable-once they actually turn. I have seen cars indicate to turn left from a bus lane and just keep on going and going, straight on! 

Pen pts or not its just not in the spirit of co-operation between drivers to respect other road users. It the two finger approach or one rule for you and one for me...


----------



## ang1170 (17 Apr 2007)

Luternau said:


> Stand corrected on that. Dont know why its not.


 
I think the reason is that penalty points are (supposed to be) for safety related offences only. 

Although it may be extremly annoying to other road users, going down a bus lane isn't putting anyone's life at risk.

I could be wrong on this point, as I can't point to a specific reference for it.

I'd tend to agree with it though, as if they start being handed out for non-safety related issues, people will just get cynical about them and why they're there, in the same way they do about guards pulling people for speeding on the safest rather than the most dangerours stretches of roads.


----------



## extopia (17 Apr 2007)

I agree completely. People who drive in restricted lanes are basically giving two fingers to compliant road users whose courteous and law-abiding road habits left the bus lane free in the first place. 

I include in this, by the way, those drivers who feel that it's OK to drive in the bus lane if they're turning left a half mile down the road.

Note that most bus lanes run out temporarily before and after traffic lights. This is supposedly to increase the flow of traffic through the junction. People should take advantage of this (and let the traffic merge on the far side of the junction when the bus lane kicks in again) as it does make a difference. Using all of the road that's available helps reduce congestion.

It's amazing, by the way, how many people DON'T use the lanes at times when they're permitted to do so.


----------



## extopia (17 Apr 2007)

ang1170 said:


> Although it may be extremly annoying to other road users, going down a bus lane isn't putting anyone's life at risk.



Maybe not (although cyclists sharing the lane might disagree), but the idea of bus lanes is to prioritise public transport over private vehicles. Personally I'm in favour of this. If everyone drove in the lanes, the bus system would grind to a halt.


----------



## Niallman (17 Apr 2007)

ang1170 said:


> ...going down a bus lane isn't putting anyone's life at risk.


 
Yes it potentially is! I can think of countless occasions where I've seen cars turning off a main road through a lane of stopped traffic via a yellow box only to be nearly cut in two by someone flying up the bus lane.

It also provokes people into making risky maneuvers, ie when they get so annoyed by someone trying to cut back into traffic out of a bus lane that they start to bunch up to the car in front and then spend a bit too much time glaring in the mirror rather than looking ahead!


----------



## Guest120 (17 Apr 2007)

Niallman said:


> I can think of countless occasions where I've seen cars turning off a main road through a lane of stopped traffic via a yellow box only to be nearly cut in two by someone flying up the bus lane.


Surely they weren't paying due care and attention if they were nearly cut in two by a vehicle using a bus lane? Regardless if a car is making an illegal maneuver it is up to the other driver to ensure the road is clear for them to complete their turn safely.


----------



## gonk (17 Apr 2007)

Bluetonic said:


> Surely they weren't paying due care and attention if they were nearly cut in two by a vehicle using a bus lane? Regardless if a car is making an illegal maneuver it is up to the other driver to ensure the road is clear for them to complete their turn safely.


 
People using bus lanes illegally should also be aware that they may be held partially liable for an accident in circumstances like these. There was a case a couple of years ago of a motorcyclist riding in a bus lane who hit a car which turned left across his path.

Although the court found the car driver responsible and awarded damages to the biker, it cut them by 40% on the basis that he shouldn't have been in the bus lane in the first place.


----------



## Guest120 (17 Apr 2007)

I remember somtehing similar from the bus lane at the entrance to ALSAA at [SIZE=-1]Cloghran.

This is a particluarly bad setup where upon entering or leaving the ALSAA cars *must *enter a 24 hour bus lane.
[/SIZE]


----------



## ang1170 (17 Apr 2007)

extopia said:


> Maybe not (although cyclists sharing the lane might disagree), but the idea of bus lanes is to prioritise public transport over private vehicles. Personally I'm in favour of this. If everyone drove in the lanes, the bus system would grind to a halt.


 
Don't get be wrong: I'm completely against using them (when in operation that is: like others, I'm amazed people don't use them when allowed), and there should be fines etc. for anyone caught. I don't think there should be penalty points though, as it's not safety related.

If penalty points start being given out for non-safetly related offences, then there's no logic to insurance companies penalising those with points, and they'd probably stop the practice, removing yet another incentive for safer driving.

As for those who point out it can be dangerous, it's no more dangerous than a bus going down the lane, or a car being driven carelessly on a regular lane.


----------

