Edinburgh bus lanes & bike use?

SpyInTheCamp

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I've just noticed that there are signs on the Old Dalkeith Road (A7) northbound just before Cameron Toll saying that there are enforcement cameras now in place on the bus lane.

Anyone know more about this and whether it'll pick up bikes? Or indeed whether that matters in Edinburgh.

I use bus lanes occasionally as it's a less dangerous option than dicing with the traffic. Seems insane to me if the cooncil is now going to punish bikers for doing this.
 
I havent seen any of the cameras yet so I dont know what way they are facing but assuming they pic up the back plate. Also haven't heard anything about them letting motorcycles in the bus lane so, yes it will pick up bikes and yes you will get done. The only place I know of in the UK that allows motorcycles in the bus lane is London and that's just a trial. Edinburgh Council doesn't give a damn about anything a motorist wants to do. In fact I would go so far to say that they don't give a damn about any of the residents in Edinburgh. Filter down the middle instead where you can, not sure if the camera will still get you if your on the white line. Pays your money and takes your chances I guess.
 
There was an article in last weeks Evening News that said they were going into operation. Not sure where the camera points are yet.
 
Oh well, I'll keep an eye out for which way the cameras are pointing and where they are. Otherwise it looks like I'll have to take my chances with oncoming traffic and dozy drivers.

What I don't understand is what the benefit or advantage is for excluding bikes in bus lanes. It's not as if we will hold up traffic. Cars do that owing to their size and the sheer number of them.

Interestingly, bicycles are allowed in bus lanes (which I agree is a sensible thing) but they are relatively slow and do in fact slow down the buses.

So the logic is probably that they don't want motorcycles in bus lanes because they don't want motorcycles in bus lanes!
 
SpyInTheCamp said:
...
What I don't understand is what the benefit or advantage is for excluding bikes in bus lanes....
"They are taller than other vehicles" :eek
Honest to god - that was one 'reason' :rolleyes: given by a Dublin City Official as to why we're not allowed in Bus lanes.

So the logic is probably that they don't want motorcycles in bus lanes because they don't want motorcycles in bus lanes!
exactly.
Click to expand...
.....
 
I think the clue is in the title........They are called Bus lanes for a reason......!:nenau

Only thing to ask myself living out here in the 'badlands' of East Lothian is what exactly is a Bus.....?:D

FP.
 
Marki_GSA said:
Edinburgh Council doesn't give a damn about anything a motorist wants to do. In fact I would go so far to say that they don't give a damn about any of the residents in Edinburgh.
Click to expand...

Not much changed there then. I was an unhappy worker in Edinburgh (Early 90s). I had to suffer the commute from the west everyday. An hour to go 12 miles. I found it strange that the Council were happy to go on TV saying that they had significantly reduced car parking spaces in the centre by several thousand. I found it even stranger that you could hop on a bus from Livingstone and get to Edinburgh for 10p. Two companies were doing that and the buses used to follow each other nose to tail. Not at 6 in the morning when you were trying to get to work though. And the pot holes were horrendous.

Possibly back in Edinburgh this summer. It will be interesting to see how things have changed.
 
B4ndit said:
It will be interesting to see how things have changed.
Click to expand...

Probably a worse nightmare to commute into central Edinburgh by road than 20 years ago. Roadworks associated with the trams, potholes and poor quality road surfaces galore, lots of speed reduction humps, cameras (speed, traffic light and now bus lane). Also now got the roadworks associated with the new Forth Crossing affecting traffic from the north and on the West of the city.

Lot of the insurance companies and banks are now out at the Gyle area so the West side (city bypass, M8, A8, M9 around Newbridge) are almost invariably congested at commuting time. A simple two car shunt in the wrong place can cause gridlock.

Still, at least if you elect to live in Fife you won't have to pay to cross the current Forth Bridge like you may have done in the 90's.
 
SpyInTheCamp said:
I've just noticed that there are signs on the Old Dalkeith Road (A7) northbound just before Cameron Toll saying that there are enforcement cameras now in place on the bus lane.

Anyone know more about this and whether it'll pick up bikes? Or indeed whether that matters in Edinburgh.

I use bus lanes occasionally as it's a less dangerous option than dicing with the traffic. Seems insane to me if the cooncil is now going to punish bikers for doing this.
Click to expand...

I don't know about the A7 cameras, but the ones on Calder Road face the front of the oncoming traffic - they will pick up the front number plates only. Bikes will be fine.

Yet to infringe the bus lanes yet as I usually commute before 7.30am and after 6.30pm anyway :D
 
It is the most daft rule to come into effect, they should be encouraging people to move over into the bus lane! When they are not in operation people wouldnt utilise them. Does make a good passing on the inside lane though - apart from the masseef pot holes.

Just Edinburgh council trying to grab more money yet again, they really are a bunch of c-nuts.
 
It was on the radio that in the first day of operation they had caught over a thousand 'offenders'. I don't believe that.

However, I do believe that they caught some poor bugger.

Glad I moved to Fife a few years ago.
 
skinnersscotch said:
However, I do believe that they caught some poor bugger.
Click to expand...
Quite possibly me! :(

I'll be keeping an eye out on the post. Looks like they're just fines and not points as well. It'd be bloody daft to get points for using a flippin bus lane! :rolleyes:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/thousands-caught-in-camera-clampdown-on-edinburgh-bus-lanes-1-2261786

Backward facing camers by the look of it! :(:tears:censor:

Not about generating revenue my arse! How daft do they think we are ... no, don't answer that!
 
How many would be complaining about the cameras if they could legally use the bus lanes and cars kept blocking their way.

Since the enforcement of bus lanes here by camera it has made it a lot easier to make progress using bus lanes.
 
Its not a driving offence so that's why no points. Its a local rule same as parking fines. It probably wont make any money, the system cost £600,000 to put in and is reckoned to cost about £100,000 per year to run. All that to save a maximum of 3 mins (council figure not mine) off a bus route. Incidentally this project was approved to catch cars parking in the bus lane. It was never approved to catch cars travelling in it.
 
Marki_GSA said:
Its not a driving offence so that's why no points. Its a local rule same as parking fines. It probably wont make any money, the system cost £600,000 to put in and is reckoned to cost about £100,000 per year to run. All that to save a maximum of 3 mins (council figure not mine) off a bus route. Incidentally this project was approved to catch cars parking in the bus lane. It was never approved to catch cars travelling in it.
Click to expand...

They will need to recover there money from putting the system in, hence the "scope creep" otherwise it would of never returned them extra profit. Gypos.
 
This is Edinburgh. They will soon have cameras to detect any motor vehicle that is not a Lothian Bus or a tram entering the town and issue a fixed penalty notice.

Looking at the list of candidates for this years council elections there is not much chance of a change in policy soon. No candidates from the "common sense party" or "anti tree huggers alliance" as far as I can see.
 
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