As reported by the Department for Regional Development (DRD) on 26th April 2013, work has progressed with Belfast On The Move, a new northbound bus lane in operation on Great Victoria Street between Hope Street and Grosvenor Road.
The bus lane is approximately 150 metres in length and will operate between 7am and 7pm Monday to Saturday. It will be clearly marked and delineated with solid white lines and associated signs. There will be one general traffic lane northbound and two general southbound traffic lanes.
As only one lane will be available to general traffic, motorists are reminded of the alternative route via Hope Street, Sandy Row, Durham Street and College Square North, for those who normally travel northbound along Great Victoria Street.
Works are also ongoing on Fisherwick Place.
On completion of this work a further bus lane, approximately 100 metres in length, will be introduced for buses turning right into Wellington Place. This is expected to be in operation by Wednesday 1 May. It will operate again from 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday.
As this bus lane is remote from the kerbline, similar to the bus lane in Oxford Street, the lane will be fully surfaced in red material to highlight its presence. There will be one general traffic lane northbound and one general traffic lane into Wellington Place either side of the new bus lane.
Good News For All Powered Two Wheelers
Even if we are reporting a bit late from our European sortie, (in France at the moment), the good news is the quote from the Department for Regional Development’s Road Service spokesman, who said: “These bus lanes will benefit all bus services, as well as motorcycles, bicycles and Belfast public hire taxis. I would remind motorists to be aware of the new traffic management arrangements, across the city centre, as they come into operation and to pay extra care and attention as they become used to them.”
While Bikes in Bus Lanes in Northern Ireland continues to be government policy, in the rest of the UK the Bikes In Bus Lanes policy is down to local authorities and granting access is down to local riders to lobby their authorities for access.
The latest success on UK Bus Lane access is reported by the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) on their Facebook page.
Members of Brighton MAG, their National Chairman John Mitchell, Vice Chairman Jon Wilmer and Michael Taylor, Uckfield MAG Rep as well as MAG member, Mike Weatherley – MP for Hove, recently opened the A259 Bus Lane with members of Sussex Police’s BikeSafe team.
Information for Belfast
“It is expected that, like Phase 1, there will be a ‘bedding in’ period for the new works. We would therefore ask everyone to be patient and allow extra time for their journey until they are familiar with the new traffic management arrangements.”
Following the introduction of a northbound bus lane in Great Victoria Street recently a second section of bus lane has become operational on Fisherwick Place.
This bus lane, on the approach to Wellington Place, will be clearly marked and delineated with solid white lines and fully surfaced in red to highlight its presence in the middle of the road. As with all other bus lanes in the city centre it will operate from 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday.
There will be one general traffic lane northbound and one general traffic lane into Wellington Place either side of the new bus lane.
As only one lane is now available for general traffic on Great Victoria Street, motorists are reminded of the alternative northbound route via Hope Street, Sandy Row, Durham Street and College Square North.
A spokesman from the Department for Regional Development’s Road Service, said: “Motorists should be aware of the new lane arrangements in Howard Street when approaching Fisherwick Place. Those drivers turning right into Fisherwick Place should do so from the right hand lane only. Motorists are asked to be patient and allow extra time for their journey until they are familiar with the new arrangements.”
Original sources – Click Here and Here
Details of all the proposals and temporary traffic management arrangements are available on the ‘Belfast On the Move’ website – Click Here
Traffic updates will also be available on the TrafficWatch NI website at – www.trafficwatchni.com
I was wondering who polices the use of bus lanes in Belfast? Twice this week already I have had two idiots, one silver golf and one Batesy skip lorry pulling into the bus lane on the Saintfield Road right in front of me. Both of these incidents where near misses and were so due to me being ready for them as this is not the first time it has happened. The driver of the skip lorry didn’t even see me after a long blast on the horn, just didn’t look. I’d like to highlight this danger to some authority and to other bikers using this bus lane. Most of the drivers are great and obey the lane structure….but it only takes one idiot to spoil a party!
Cheers
Hi David
The people who police the use of Bus Lanes would be the Police, the PSNI!
You could report the drivers to the police but it would be your word against theirs, without any other evidence.
However perhaps if the part of the road where the Bus Lane is and this is a regular occurence at that spot, then it might be worthwhile reporting to the police that is is an ongoing issue or even to Roads Service, that there appears to be an issue.
It would do no harm to drop them a line anyway, their contact details are at http://www.drdni.gov.uk/index/roadsni/roadsni-5.htm Eastern Division perhaps the best or start with the Cheif Executive.