Bus lanes and red lights..

[bermyandy]

Quick question... on my drive into work, there is a bus lane that is operational from 7am to about 6pm, so outside of this time, anyone can use it.

At one point on this road, there is a solid divide between the two lanes, with a single traffic light on the right. From what i gather, this light only applies to the non-bus lane, as the buses always go straight through when the light is red

So.... If i drive in the bus lane legally (so before 7am) can i also 'run' that red light, as it doesnt apply to the bus lane i am in?

Lots of cars do it, but i dont because im too scared...!!!

[Zod]

Erm, isn't that just the usual phenomenon of buses jumping red lights with impunity (just as they block yellow box junctions)?

[twister]

Is there a stop line across the bus lane? If not, then given there's a physical divide between bus and normal lanes here, I'd say the lights only apply to the normal lane. There's a few such lights in London which hold up the traffic in an attempt (sometimes successfully!) to give the buses a clear run through the stretch of road ahead.

[bermyandy]

From memory, there is no stop line for the bus lane - its just before vauxhall bridge coming from clapham junction

So out of bus lane hours, i could be ok to use it?

[wtanih]

I would check to make sure the bus lane approach to the lights does indeed have the same controlled hours. There is a similiar junction on Buckingham Palace Road, but I believe the bus lane way before and after have controlled/uncontrolled hours but the bit just before the lights says bus lane at all times.

[loafer123]

bermyandy said:

From memory, there is no stop line for the bus lane - its just before vauxhall bridge coming from clapham junction

So out of bus lane hours, i could be ok to use it?

I know exactly where you mean. I go down the bus lane out of hours there - the end of the bus lane has "Give Way" markings due to the filter from Covent Garden F&V Market, so keep an eye out to your left, but otherwise I can't see any reason why it should be a problem.

Regards,

Loafer

[bermyandy]

Yeah, thats the one - you get a relatively good view of the filterign lane once you pass the petrol station, just never had the guts to try it yet!!