There’s a mile & half stretch of two lane road going into Bolton, the inside lane is a timed bus lane, It is not a dedicated bus lane only but has signs for when it is a bus lane only between the times of 07:00-10:00 & 16:00-19:00.
Every time I use that road outside of those times there’s no one in it, they’re too thick to know the highway code or even read the signs stating it.
That includes HGV’s too, Are they all ■■■■ scared of venturing into these types of bus lanes? They turn a busy two lane road into a congested one lane road, I had one idiot this afternoon honking his horn at me for using the bus lane at 14:00 hours at the traffic lights at the end of the bus lane which is outside of the timed bus lane.
I said wind your window down & gave him an earful & told him to open his eyes & read the bloody signs, He just gave me a blank stare.
I don’t know that particular road but it’s always been the case that you will see people avoiding a bus lane outside of it’s signposted hours of being a bus lane.
I’ve always taken the view that if it works to my advantage why should I complain
People just see bus lanes and panic think there get fined so move over. Good way to jump a qué I find using them outside stated times. Your doing nothing illegal.
There be the same people when coming off a motorway or any junction and want to turn right they keep right yet left hand lane is clearly signposted marked up to use to right turn as well but they choose to ignore the signs and keep right.
M6 Jct 19 was notorious for it before they changed the junction layout.
You’d get the herd mentality queuing up on right hand lane yet lane to left which i also a right turn is empty.
Firstly the signs need careful reading, and are generally written in small lettering.
Especially the crucial, at all times lettering.
They are not really fit for purpose for being read while passing at 30 mph.
While bus lanes are generally denoted by road markings.So ideally there should be a design which can alternate the road markings between black to cancel them out and white when in force.
While I generally avoid them anyway even though I know the times of the timed local ones at least.When not in use they’ll invariably be filled by parked vehicles and cyclists.
While I instinctively won’t cross a solid white line road marking regardless.
So to be fair my answer would have been yes I know the times feel free to use the bus lane if you want to I’m not stopping you.
There is the risk of having a bus stop to drop or pick up in front and then you need those suckers in the next lane to let you across or the gains you made are lost.
