Edinburgh has installed cameras to monitor the bus lanes to stop people driving in them. Cue usual bleating from the poor “hard pressed motorist” including this one

The AA has already warned motorists the new camera system will mean they must “drive blindly to the rules” to avoid falling foul of the strict no-entry lanes.

So the AA are bleating that car drivers need to obey the rules of the road? Breathtaking

thousands were caught in the trial month and given warnings – now its gone live. £60 fines should be a nice little earner and should help make the ride across town more pleasant

Oh how I shall laugh
http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/transport/3600-greenway-drivers-are-busted-in-lane-crackdown-1-2254105
http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/transport/fines-plan-sparks-review-for-bus-lane-overhaul-1-2256412

Nice 🙂

Too right, about time I say too, Edinburgh drivers have been ignoring bus only lanes for years. This should be a good wee earner for the Cooncil.

On a related topic – has anybody ridden in the “safe for biking” corridor from King’s Building to the Bridges ? I have driven along, and am aghast at some of the markings. The cycle lane shoots out suddenly into the middle of the road to get around 2 parking spaces for example. Why not just get rid of the parking all along that corridor ??

P.S good old Edinburgh Evening News, they can always find some small local trader whose “takings have plunged” due to traffic management, I think they keep them in a room somewhere at the Scotsman building.

“However, it is common to stray into the bus lane when you’re approaching a turn. You really have to stick to the rules or you end up getting fines.”

Unreal. Someone seriously arguing its wrong they have to drive by the rules of the road and annoyed they will be fined if they ‘stray’ whilst performing a manoeuvre.

Since when did people not have to drive to the rules and not expect reprisal?

Standard practise in England, good to see other places catching up.

Next thing you know you’ll have one of those new fangled metropolitan rail systems that other capital cities have……

Read the AA report a while back, to be fair are they not complaining about fines being handed out when people nip down the bus lane to avoid sitting in a queue to turn left (ie their junction is 100 yards down the road and they use a clear bus lane to avoid being part of the congestion)?

I was quite happy with the enforcement too, it’s a £30 fine if paid quickly and no penalty points – not the world’s biggest deterrent!! 😉 Of course I’m joking about this.

I wonder if they catch speeders too ?

I am a stickler for the speed limit driving into Edinburgh, it’s not uncommon for White Van Men and Blonde Chickies in Audis to zoom past and undertake in the bus lane. Double whammy for the real a-holes of the road !

Next thing you know you’ll have one of those new fangled metropolitan rail systems that other capital cities have……

Unfair – they have a state-of-the-art flagship tram system

Unfair – they haved a state-of-the-art flagship tram system

😆

We had a state of the art tram system and light rail in the 50s. Now we have a uncompleted white elephant

The trams are the Edinburgh council’s revenge on it’s people for not voting in the congestion charging zones.

TandemJeremy – Member

We had a state of the art tram system and light rail in the 50s. Now we have a uncompleted white elephant
Which according to the ECC the completion running ahead of schedule! What the revised schedlue that replaced the schedule that was scheduled for completion in 2010? Twonks!

Great news about the bus lane cameras, does this mean they are enforcing the ASL’s for cyclists as well?

TandemJeremy – Member
…..Now we have a uncompleted white elephant

That’s small town politcs for you…..
😆

Steady on Bawbag..

Great news about the bus lane cameras, does this mean they are enforcing the ASL’s for cyclists as well?

Yes:
http://www.streetsaheadedinburgh.org.uk/info/1/motorcyclists/74/drive_safe_cycle_safe_easter_2012_campaign_launch/2

…to be fair are they [AA] not complaining about fines being handed out when people nip down the bus lane to avoid sitting in a queue to turn left (ie their junction is 100 yards down the road and they use a clear bus lane to avoid being part of the congestion)?

I’ve had a number of near misses with drivers pulling this stunt – popping into the last 100m of the bus lane as I’m cycling down it. If everyone just starts nipping into the end of the bus lane “because it is empty” you quickly end up back where you started, with a blocked bus lane.
It would be good to see some enforcement on habitual red light jumpers as well. Every morning on the A71/ring road interchange there is a steady stream of cars driving at full speed through the red lights.

Duly noted for when I’m up there in August..

So no more redlight jumping or cheeky short cuts on a Sunday in Edinburgh for me.

Be nice if they could make the Edinburgh highways resemble roads now rather than badly repaired bomb damage.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Edinburgh has any money left now after attempting to build a tram system.

Very noticeable on my commute. Lovely smooth roads well maintained until Leadburn, then a crazy slalom potholed mess the rest of the way to Edinburgh.

Hels… I also commute in from Peebles and I fully agree regarding the roads after Leadburn. They are ignored and poorly maintained, woeful to drive on. Cycling on them is a nightmare too as along the side of the road is bumpier than most of the Red @ GT.

The “super highway” that has finally appeared on Edinburgh south side is useless as the cycle lanes are fair game for cars to park in with just a single yellow line. Liberton Brae might as well not have a cycle lane too given I have never in three years not seen a parked car in the cycle lane, pushing the cyclist into a very busy road. Call me naive but shouldn’t a cycle lane be exclusively for cyclists and not a extra parking area for cars during the day?

Rant over 😆

I’ve had a number of near misses with drivers pulling this stunt – popping into the last 100m of the bus lane as I’m cycling down it. If everyone just starts nipping into the end of the bus lane “because it is empty” you quickly end up back where you started, with a blocked bus lane.

Sorry but those same drivers would have probably had a near miss with you if they waited until they were on top of their turn – poor observation is poor observation no matter what point they join the bus lane or junction. I’ll not be sitting in a traffic jam when I can see to my junction and there’s a completely clear bus lane – the people who nearly hit cyclists doing this have bigger problems than using bus lanes, if they can’t see a cyclist then they probably cause a lot of problems on the road. The problem you’re describing is with bad drivers not bus lane jumping…

steve – you will be getting a nice fine if you do it in Edinburgh then. Why can car drivers not obey the rules of the road?

he AA has already warned motoristscyclists the new camera system will mean they must “drive blindly to the rules” to avoid falling foul of the strict no-entry lanesstop at a red light rule.

See if CTC said that the bike haters would be having a field day

Prophet – it’s the same issue as the dreadful Leadburn Junction, it comes under Edinburgh Council (or perhaps Midlothian) but impacts on Borders constituents (voters) so nothing is ever funded.

At least we are getting a 40mph through Leadburn, a poorly designed intersection with terrible visibility not helped by people belting through from the approach from Penicuik at 70.

From the article:

James Binnie, assistant manager at the Jocks Lodge bar, which has seen a camera put up outside, added: “The council do not give you notice. None of our customers know about this.”

Boo hoo! You used to be able to get away with breaking the law and they didn’t have the courtesy (other than a grace period with warnings, which seems very generous) to let you know you’d have to start abiding the law.

Do the same folk whinge about speed cameras not being preceded by a “COMING SOON: SPEED CAMERA” sign!?

^^^^ I think their complaint might be about not being able to park because you have to cross the bus lane to get to the parking spaces. But surely not many of their customers are drinking and driving?
No comment from TJ about jumping red lights!!!!

You are allowed to cross the bus lane to get to parking spaces or access your property

Edit – not that jocks lodge has any parking that needs tobe accessed across a bus lane
http://g.co/maps/pujv3

I’ll not be sitting in a traffic jam when I can see to my junction and there’s a completely clear bus lane

yeah unfortunately most other drivers who think this aren’t as bike savvy as you and don’t properly check their mirror before nipping into the bike lane. I’ve been on buses that have had to slam the brakes on because people haven’t looked, if they can’t see a bus, a bike has no chance.

I’m glad to hear about these cameras (and I’m not generally down with cctv etc), it was avoiding a car in a greenway that led to me getting into a bad accident a couple of years back, and in the same place I see close scrapes all the time, mostly people pulling into the bus lane to undertake the queue of traffic or sneak along to the junction before everyone else.

Also when I get the bus to work there are always several doofi parked in the greenway, making me even later…

Jock’s Lodge has continuous parking along it….in the form of a cycle lane 😀

yeah unfortunately most other drivers who think this aren’t as bike savvy as you and don’t properly check their mirror before nipping into the bike lane. I’ve been on buses that have had to slam the brakes on because people haven’t looked, if they can’t see a bus, a bike has no chance.

Completely agree these drivers are a menace and need to be dealt with but this method doesn’t necessarily catch them, they still have to cross the bus lane to turn into the junction/space. Even if they start doing this without cutting down the bus lane they will still cause problems to the cyclists when they turn if they don’t look properly.

Doesn’t fix the problem unfortunately. The way I see it is it’s just another easy way to get cash, same as the speed cameras, if someone was to cut across a bus lane in front of a bike but at the legally correct point at a junction they will get away with it. If someone cuts down a bus lane to a junction and does it perfectly safely they get penalised. Same as speeding, 10mph over the speed limit on an empty motorway with perfect visibility gets a harsher penalty than someone doing the speed limit and knocking a cyclist off unless there is enough evidence to guarantee they can be done for dangerous driving.

What is needed is policing to catch dangerous driving with a common sense approach to it, if someone is taking the p!ss using a bus lane to beat a queue or uses it dangerously penalise them. If they use it safely to turn at a junction saving another car sitting in a queue causing polution and congestion leave them alone.

The point is steve if everyone thinks as you do then the bus lanes will get blocked – I see tis all the time. I ride across town and there are always cars parked or driving in the bus lane causing queues and blockin them

according to Route one Bus and coach magazine, coach owners are being sent warning letters for using the edinburgers bus lanes, the contractors dont seem to be able to tell the difference between a bus full of people and a coach full of people.

Anyway both can now use the bus lanes as they are covered by the traffic regulation order.

It’s not exactly a new thing, I’ve had a couple of tickets for using bus lanes (on the motorbike) over the years. Total bargain tbh, used to save me 5 minutes an end on my commute, well worth the £30 every couple of years, I highly recommend it.

The point is steve if everyone thinks as you do then the bus lanes will get blocked – I see tis all the time. I ride across town and there are always cars parked or driving in the bus lane causing queues and blockin them

Nope, I clearly say I’d only use them if I could see that the bus lane to the junction is clear. I’m not talking about using them to jump a queue and get to traffic lights it’s the ones where there’s a queue past the junction I’m using where the bus lane lets me make my turn and get out of the way.

The point I’m making anyway is it’s dangerous driving that causes problems to cyclist (actually to all other road users) – this is just another easy hit to get money without tackling the real problem of how to make the roads safer.

* of course I’m using I as an example here as I am a law abiding citizen!
** Wouldn’t it be funny if I got caught on my way home now!!!

I see your point steve but it still applies – if everyone does this then the lanes are useless. How far is it acceptable to drive along in the lane for to get to your junction?

there was proposal to have cameras on every bus and use them to catch folk blocking lanes – that way there could be no dispute at all. I

Hels/Prophet2

You are commuting from Peebles into Edinburgh? I’m impressed.

How long does it take you and how often do you do it?

Thv3 sorry for any confusion, I drive up to Straiton Park and Ride and then bike it into Cannonmills from there. In the lighter evenings I regularly extend my commute to start from Auchedinny, ocassionaly from Leadburn.

I do know of one guy who does the Peebles-Edinburgh commute. He doesn’t mind it but he is uber fit.

These cameras have made such a difference on the A71 going eastbound approaching the bypass. Bus lane totally clear of non-buses this morning, long may it continue.

Don’t think that anyone has mentioned the impact on bus journey times too. I used to regularly see buses stuck behind a queue of traffic in the lane described above but now they get straight up to front of the queue. Must take at least 2-3 mins off the journey into town!

I used to cycle the whole way, but not every day, maybe a couple of times. Now if I cycle it’s one way, leave the bike at work and get the bus home, then cycle home the next day. It’s not that impressive, only takes 1.30 there and 1.45 back (my record is 1.20) so still not that much longer than poxy 62 bus.

Must get back in to it, just been v busy !