Filling in of bus lanes

[Spare tyre]

I was up early early the other morning and found myself walking through the high street In Southampton

The bus lanes have been filled in, is this a COVID thing.

So now when a bus pulls up is blocks the road

The bit where the blue bus is pictured is now pavement

Is this a COVID thing?

[Puggit]

Local councils have been doing this for years. The sole aim is to cause traffic disruption.

[Spare tyre]

Puggit said:

Local councils have been doing this for years. The sole aim is to cause traffic disruption.

Funny you should say that as near me they also filed in the bus lanes and out traffic lights in. Under all of this is a massive underpass!

[oldaudi]

Bristol council have done this. Rather than a lay-by for the bus to pull into, they’ve been filled in as you’ve explained. In some cases they’ve also actually been pushed out into the road.

Buses were late because they’d pull in and then nobody would let them out again. So now everyone is late because the entire queue of traffic has to wait for the bus. Of course our stupid Labour mayor thinks we should all be on push bikes and electric scooters. So I’m the problem because I use a car

[Spare tyre]

oldaudi said:

Bristol council have done this. Rather than a lay-by for the bus to pull into, they’ve been filled in as you’ve explained. In some cases they’ve also actually been pushed out into the road.

Buses were late because they’d pull in and then nobody would let them out again. So now everyone is late because the entire queue of traffic has to wait for the bus. Of course our stupid Labour mayor thinks we should all be on push bikes and electric scooters. So I’m the problem because I use a car

I’m a good egg, always let a bus out, good chance it’s going to stop again!

[anonymous-user]

oldaudi said:

Buses were late because they’d pull in and then nobody would let them out again. So now everyone is late because the entire queue of traffic has to wait for the bus. Of course our stupid Labour mayor thinks we should all be on push bikes and electric scooters. So I’m the problem because I use a car

This is true, bus companies resist layby bus stops hard, even though "the Standards" say all bus stops SHOULD have laybys.

Also, they are maintenance liability, they get parked in, obstructed, filled with crap etc.

Bus laybys only work if the bus can pull in to it 100%. They are just as bad as on-road stops if the bus leaves his arse end sticking out in to the road, or if buses stack behind all waiting to use the single layby.

On-road/in-line stops are fine if the bus stops and drops off quickly, and people are using contactless to get on - the bus isn't stopped for long, and it's not impossible to overtake a bus, but it makes life a lot easier for bus drivers.*

Also good for safety, how many times do you see idiot peds getting off a bus and walking straight in front of it trying to cross the road. A bus using an in-line stop will help make this safer - regardless of whether the ped should be crossing there or not.

Bus stands (where they wait to get back on timetable, as opposed to bus stops) are not preferred on road and usually have a layby.

• and it stops the stty bus driver behaviour of putting their right hand indicator on as soon as they stop, to generate a gap early.

[roadsmash]

It’s a good job you were on foot because that’s a traffic free zone (except for buses and taxis etc).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-53...

Hence the redesign.

[Spare tyre]

roadsmash said:

It’s a good job you were on foot because that’s a traffic free zone (except for buses and taxis etc).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-53...

Hence the redesign.

Indeed, but it’s not just the high street, out towards romsey and hedge end in the other direction they are doing the same. Which brings the next annoying theory I have

I feel like as the bus no longer has anywhere to stop it crawls along very slowly if it’s running early.

On the outskirts just yesterday I followed a bus doing 25 in 60 zone. I put stopped at a stop and then drove at 50mph afterwards. It felt like he was running early so drove slowly!

As with all these things there are often practices behind them that make a bit of sense over all, just not to jo public like me