The Fastway is another example of a guided bus system.
One problem is that it is only available to certain specially designed buses and all the others have to avoid it. One stretch on Route 20 (By Three Bridges Football Club for those know it) seems to sit idle for well over 23 hours per day whilst all the other buses have to wait in the queues of normal traffic at busy times.
All you need to do to buses in order for them to use a guided busway is to fit guiding wheels on standard buses. Other than that, the buses are the same, as far as I can tell.
All you need to do to buses in order for them to use a guided busway is to fit guiding wheels on standard buses. Other than that, the buses are the same, as far as I can tell.
That may be so, but here the only buses which are allowed to use the guideways are those which have been specially built for the purpose, for use on the three routes designated as "Fastway" (Metrobus routes 10, 20 and 100). None have been modified so that the other routes can use them.
It doesn't look like changing as the system has been up and running since about 2006.
I have rechecked the No. 20 timetable and the stretch of guideway that I mentioned above (Post #23) is used by 49 buses each 24 hours on weekdays and it takes about 30 seconds for each bus to transit it meaning that it is in use for a total of under 25 minutes. The remaining 23h 35m it is completely unused.
The total chaos that resulted from the construction of this one stretch lasted for about 2 years and there was no other alteration made to improve things for other road users (including non-Fastway buses)!
Our local council is asking the unthinkable in a current consultation on its budget, the abolition of subsidies for public transport. If timed at the same time as a more widespread policy of abolishing bus lanes to appease drivers, it could well look like that the Government is turning its back on greener ways of mass transit.
All you need to do to buses in order for them to use a guided busway is to fit guiding wheels on standard buses. Other than that, the buses are the same, as far as I can tell.
They're a help - my driving instructor taught me to observe the hours of usage well, so I'm always in them when they're free to all traffic, going past people giving me dirty looks for using it correctly
I had this in West London, near where I lived at the time.
The bus lane stopped operating at 4pm. There was me and one other driver who were usually there at 4:00 or 4:01pm, sailing up the lane whilst the unobservant drivers, queueing up, gave us filthy looks!
As a bus user, bus lanes are great for me... I leave home to do the school run at the same time as another woman on my road (she drives) and even though I have to stop to drop my youngest at nursery on the way to the school, my eldest is in school before her son 99% of the time.
I can see why drivers don't like them when they sit empty and unused but during busy times they make buses the quicker way to travel which is great.
My only gripe with bus lanes was when my Grandad was sat in traffic and pulled into one to let an ambulance pass (he didn't actually drive anywhere in it) and was subsequently fined for it.
I have been caught for doing the same on Putney Bridge (24 hours bus lane) I appealed and was tuned down. I only moved over with two wheels and then straight back again for a police car to pass, but they were having none of it.
Now, I let the emergency vehicles make their way around me on that particular bridge.
You can't appeal a FPN, you either accept it or go to court.
"You may only appeal to the adjudicator if:
You have received a Penalty Charge Notice from an enforcement authority; and
You have made formal representations to that authority challenging the Penalty Charge Notice; and
You have received a Notice of Rejection from the authority."
I have rechecked the No. 20 timetable and the stretch of guideway that I mentioned above (Post #23) is used by 49 buses each 24 hours on weekdays and it takes about 30 seconds for each bus to transit it meaning that it is in use for a total of under 25 minutes. The remaining 23h 35m it is completely unused.
Much like a railway line then. The L&D busway is in fact built over part of a disused railway line.
In your area, the equivalent built as a tramway would have cost ten times the money as Fastway, according to the official website, and then no doubt people would be complaining about that. You just can't win, it seems.
The bottom line is, that if you want decent public transport, you have to be prepared to pay for it out of your taxes.
Living here in Belfast we have recently had the imposition of Bus Lanes. They were supposed to speed up traffic flows and aid public transport. But in reality all they have done is to create terrible taffic chaos and conjestion.
I wouldnt mind if we had a decent public transport service , IMO we have the worst transport system in Europe, but the bus lanes always seem to be empty while traffic lanes are bunged with angry motorists. I have noticed over this past few weeks drives ignoring restrictions and using the empty buslanes but this morning our dear Police force the PSNI were located on all bus lanes . They must have nothing better to do.
Are we in Belfast the only people cursed with these awful lanes or is it more widespread.
Bus lanes are there for the convenience of buses, not for the convenience of car/vehicle drivers. Maybe if drivers are inconvenienced by bus lanes, they may consider making fewer car journeys and/or change their mode of transport, which can only be a good thing on our already severely congested roads.
All you need to do to buses in order for them to use a guided busway is to fit guiding wheels on standard buses. Other than that, the buses are the same, as far as I can tell.
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Emergency and Incident Support vehicles. You should look and listen for ambulances, fire engines, police, doctors or other emergency vehicles using flashing blue, red or green lights and sirens or flashing headlights, or Highways Agency Traffic Officer and Incident Support vehicles using flashing amber lights. When one approaches do not panic. Consider the route of such a vehicle and take appropriate action to let it pass, while complying with all traffic signs. If necessary, pull to the side of the road and stop, but try to avoid stopping before the brow of a hill, a bend or narrow section of road. Do not endanger yourself, other road users or pedestrians and avoid mounting the kerb. Do not brake harshly on approach ito a junction or roundabout, as a following vehicle may not have the same view as you.
By pulling into the bus lane he wasn't complying with all traffic signs... By the letter of the law he was in the wrong, it just seemed really harsh, and to me letting an ambulance past is more important than a bus potentially being held up by 30 seconds.
Although I don't know the layout in this case, it might have made more sense, in hindsight, to stay where he was and let the ambulance use the bus lane.
Edit. I've now read more of the thread, and see that this has already been discussed.
Although I don't know the layout in this case, it might have made more sense, in hindsight, to stay where he was and let the ambulance use the bus lane.
Edit. I've now read more of the thread, and see that this has already been discussed.
I take it emergency vehicles can use any lane the driver of the vehicle likes, correct?
Much like a railway line then. The L&D busway is in fact built over part of a disused railway line.
In your area, the equivalent built as a tramway would have cost ten times the money as Fastway, according to the official website, and then no doubt people would be complaining about that. You just can't win, it seems.
The complaint I have is that they could have just widened the road and painted a bus lane on it and then the other four routes which use the section could be using it instead of getting stuck in the traffic. It would have been much cheaper and quicker to construct.
The complaint I have is that they could have just widened the road and painted a bus lane on it and then the other four routes which use the section could be using it instead of getting stuck in the traffic. It would have been much cheaper and quicker to construct.
I don't know albertd. I don't know the area at all. Were the public in the area consulted about any of this or was the scheme pushed through without adequate feedback from relevant parties?
You can't appeal a FPN, you either accept it or go to court.
Not true, I broke down in Baker St. W1 once.
While waiting for the AA my car was picked up on a camera and I was later mailed an FPN.
I scanned and attached the form that I had signed for the AA relay truck driver who transported my car.
I furnished my AA membership number, and supplied the time that I broke down, plus the time that I called the AA.
I emailed all this to the issuing authority.
About two weeks later I received a letter stating that the FPN had been rescinded, and no further action would be taken.
Comments
All you need to do to buses in order for them to use a guided busway is to fit guiding wheels on standard buses. Other than that, the buses are the same, as far as I can tell.
http://www.busway.net/about
It doesn't look like changing as the system has been up and running since about 2006.
I have rechecked the No. 20 timetable and the stretch of guideway that I mentioned above (Post #23) is used by 49 buses each 24 hours on weekdays and it takes about 30 seconds for each bus to transit it meaning that it is in use for a total of under 25 minutes. The remaining 23h 35m it is completely unused.
The total chaos that resulted from the construction of this one stretch lasted for about 2 years and there was no other alteration made to improve things for other road users (including non-Fastway buses)!
Yes, the buses in Leeds that use the guided bus lanes are just standard buses with guide wheels fitted to them.
I had this in West London, near where I lived at the time.
The bus lane stopped operating at 4pm. There was me and one other driver who were usually there at 4:00 or 4:01pm, sailing up the lane whilst the unobservant drivers, queueing up, gave us filthy looks!
I have been caught for doing the same on Putney Bridge (24 hours bus lane) I appealed and was tuned down. I only moved over with two wheels and then straight back again for a police car to pass, but they were having none of it.
Now, I let the emergency vehicles make their way around me on that particular bridge.
"You may only appeal to the adjudicator if:
You have received a Penalty Charge Notice from an enforcement authority; and
You have made formal representations to that authority challenging the Penalty Charge Notice; and
You have received a Notice of Rejection from the authority."
http://www.patas.gov.uk/tmaadjudicators/tmaappealexplained.htm
Much like a railway line then. The L&D busway is in fact built over part of a disused railway line.
In your area, the equivalent built as a tramway would have cost ten times the money as Fastway, according to the official website, and then no doubt people would be complaining about that. You just can't win, it seems.
The bottom line is, that if you want decent public transport, you have to be prepared to pay for it out of your taxes.
Bus lanes are there for the convenience of buses, not for the convenience of car/vehicle drivers. Maybe if drivers are inconvenienced by bus lanes, they may consider making fewer car journeys and/or change their mode of transport, which can only be a good thing on our already severely congested roads.
Although I don't know the layout in this case, it might have made more sense, in hindsight, to stay where he was and let the ambulance use the bus lane.
Edit. I've now read more of the thread, and see that this has already been discussed.
I don't know albertd. I don't know the area at all. Were the public in the area consulted about any of this or was the scheme pushed through without adequate feedback from relevant parties?
Not true, I broke down in Baker St. W1 once.
While waiting for the AA my car was picked up on a camera and I was later mailed an FPN.
I scanned and attached the form that I had signed for the AA relay truck driver who transported my car.
I furnished my AA membership number, and supplied the time that I broke down, plus the time that I called the AA.
I emailed all this to the issuing authority.
About two weeks later I received a letter stating that the FPN had been rescinded, and no further action would be taken.