Perspective with Ryan Bridge: Does anyone else have a problem with bus lanes?

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

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14d ago 2:36

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Put your hand up if you've ever had a bus suddenly pull out in front of your car while you're driving along, minding your own beeswax.

I know. It's happened to everyone. They're long things aren't they, buses? So you can be halfway past one when they pull out, and all of a sudden you're slamming on the brakes or you're pushed into the wrong lane.

I don't mind admitting that until this very morning, I had assumed that buses must have had the right of way.

They seem to take no prisoners. They have no mercy. They're as ruthless on the road as the All Blacks at the Cake Tin on Saturday night.

But I was reading an article this morning from the Spinoff about a bunch of changes to road rules that Chris Bishop wants to enact.

One of them is giving buses right of way when they're exiting bus stops.

So if you're driving a car, you must yield. Give way. Slow down, or more likely, stop completely to let them out.

The theory is that buses carry more passengers than cars. If we prioritise the buses, more people will get where they need to go. Productivity increases. And we're all better off.

And you know what? I can get onboard with that. It makes sense, and I sort of thought that was the law anyway.

But if we motorists are going to do something nice for the buses, then I want something in return.

I want those stupid green bus lanes that sit empty most of the day as traffic piles up around them back. I want us to reclaim the road for the people who are actually using it.

I understand the need for rush-hour/peak bus lanes. But I don't understand why they must be bus lanes 24/7 when they're 1 - not being used by buses and 2 - causing massive delays, inconvenience and lost productivity to the rest of us.

The default position is that bus lanes are 24/7 unless sign posted otherwise. The one in particular that rips my nightie is in central Auckland - where most bus lanes are 24/7.

Does anybody else have this problem - or am I just another selfish motorist fuming in midday traffic?

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Perspective with Ryan Bridge: Does anyone else have a problem with bus lanes?

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

published 14d ago