| Bus Lanes
What is the law for use of a bus lane?
Bus and tram lanes. These are shown by road markings and signs. You must not drive or stop in a tram lane or in a bus lane during its period of operation unless the signs indicate you may do so.
What is the real issue with bus lanes?
Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils have invested a lot of money over the last decade on the promotion of public transport. The success of buses as a major form of transport to combat the car depends on the speed and reliability of the service. To help bus companies achieve a reliable and speedy service, bus lanes have been introduced at know congestion hot spots e.g. Mansfield Road, Derby Road, Radcliffe Road. These lanes allow the bus to avoid the congestion and reach the front of the queue, giving the bus priority.
These are the main problems we experience on a daily basis:
- Parking and loading in bus lanes.
- Dropping off in bus lanes
- Queuing in bus lanes
 "I'm only there for a minute; it can't have that much effect!" Well actually it does! Buses get delayed by having to constantly pop in and out of its bus lane to get around obstacles, even those cars/vans that are parked half on and half off the pavement still have to be negotiated causing a nice reliable service to be delayed. This causes problems with connections in town (people can miss buses) and the perception our customers have of our service.
 The point of a bus lane is to bring the bus to the front of congested traffic. Have you noticed how very often the queue in the bus lane is longer than the one in the proper lane? This causes us many problems with timings on journeys. Some times we have to reduce frequencies or increase the overall journey time, just because an inconsiderate car driver wants to get a few cars ahead.
Where are the bus lanes and what times are they in operation?
Bus lanes are usually in operation with the flow of traffic at peak times. In the morning going towards the City. Some of the major arterial roads into Nottingham have a 24 hour bus lane in place.
To find out more about which roads have bus lanes in place and their times of operation, click here
Enforcement of bus lanes
Nottingham City Council has 12 mobile attendants who can deal with any illegally parked vehicles in a bus lane. There is also a tow away vehicle available to remove the vehicles causing an obstruction. Another tow away vehicle will be joining this team to help keep our bus lanes and streets clear. Decriminalisation has meant that the power to fine the owners of illegally parked vehicles is now in the hands of our council. Listed below are the fines.
If you notice a bus lane being used as a car park please let public.transport@nottinghamcity.gov.uk know about it so they can assess the areas which needs the wardens attention.
Next year due to decriminalised parking powers, Nottingham City Council will have the power to fine cars and vans who are using bus lanes to get ahead in the traffic and therefore cause queues in the bus lane and delay the bus. Watch this space for more info when available.
| Bus Stops
What is the law concerning bus stops?
Do not park your vehicle or trailer on the road where it would endanger, inconvenience or obstruct pedestrians or other road users. For example, do not stop at or near a bus stop . Most bus stops are shown on the road with a yellow box containing the words "bus stop".
Dropping off at a bus stop - does it really cause any problems?
Lets see - Many bus stops across Nottingham have a raised kerbs to allow easy access on and off the bus for passengers, especially those in wheelchairs, parents with pushchairs and those with mobility problems. If dropping off at a bus stop, the damage to services and reputation starts here -
- The bus can not pull into its designated bus stop.
- The low floor vehicle is no longer "accessible" because it has to be exited by stepping down into the road instead of a specially designed bus stop area.
- Elderly and disabled passengers will now find difficulty exiting and boarding the bus, causing frustration for these passengers.
- Passengers who may lack confidence in using public transport because of mobility problems may never use the service again and feel trapped in their home.
- The bus is delayed at this stop whilst trying to safely unload and load passengers, this can cause problems further down the route when passengers are not sure of their services reliability.
- The bus is blocking the road and causing delays and frustrations to other road users, the blame often being laid at the bus drivers door for being inconsiderate.
Did you think dropping off at a bus stop would cause this much of a problem? This is a constant and irritable problem that NCT have been facing and dealing with for a very considerable time. Many car drivers believe they are helping other road users by pulling into a bus stop and getting out of the way of the traffic, maybe we could help to educate them of the adverse affect such a simple act can make. |
| Parking Fines
What can you be fined for?
Traffic Wardens still enforce all moving offences including driving in a bus lane during its hours of operation, unauthorised driving through the Clear Zone ( more information about clear zone ). Contravention of any moving offence is an automatic summons to court and not a fixed penalty notice, therefore the fine will vary according to the offence.
Any illegally parked vehicle could be removed, but the priorities are:-
Bus Lanes and Bus Stop Clearways
Disabled parking bays
Taxi bays
Loading bays
Main arterial routes into and out of the City
Any other street where illegal parking could block the access for emergency vehicles
The City Council Parking Attendants enforce all waiting offences in the City boundary. There is a £60 fine for parking illegally (or £30 if this is paid within 14 days of issue). If the vehicle is removed to the City Council's pound, the charge is £105 in addition to the penalty charge. Plus if the vehicle is left in the pound there is a charge of £12 per day. |
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