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

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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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So your hand up. If you have ever had a

(00:02):
bus suddenly pull out in front of your car while
you're driving along the minding your own beeswax. It's a
stupid thing to say because I can't see your hand, obviously,
but I'm assuming you are putting your hand in the
air right now. It's happened to everyone. They're quite long things,
aren't they busses, So you can be halfway past one
when they pull out all of a sudden you're slamming

(00:24):
on your brakes, or worse, more dangerous, they're pushing you
into the wrong lane into oncoming traffic. Now I don't
mind admitting that, until this morning, I had assumed that
buses must have had the right of way. You know,
they quite take no prisoners, have no mercy, ruthless as
the Abs against the French at the Cake ten on

(00:45):
Saturday night. But I was reading an article this morning
from the spin Off about a bunch of changes to
road rules that Chris Bishop is going to an Act,
wants to an Act. One of them is giving buses
right of way when they're exiting bus stops, so if
you're driving a car, you must give way yield. The
theory is buses carry more passengers. If we prioritize buses,

(01:07):
more people get them, productivity increases, blah blah blah. And
you know what, I can understand that. In fact, I
can get on board with that. It makes sense. I
sort of thought it was the rule anyway, so I'm
not really that bothered by it, to be honest with you.
It's out for consultation that by the way. But if
we motorists are going to do something nice for the buses,

(01:28):
then I want something in return. I want those stupid
green bus lanes that sit empty for most of the
day is the traffic piles up around I want them back.
I want those bus lanes back for US car users.
I want us to reclaim the road for people who
are actually using it at the time that they're using it.

(01:49):
I understand the need for the rush hour, you know,
the peak hour bus lanes, but I don't understand why
they must be bus lanes twenty four to seven when
they're one not being used by bus and two causing
massive delays inconvenience and lost productivity to everybody else on
the road. The default position is that bus lanes are
twenty four to seven unless they're signposted otherwise, And the

(02:11):
one in particular that really rips mine is in Central Auckland,
and most of them there are at twenty four to seven.
So I to know, is this just me? Does anybody
else have this problem? Or am I just another selfish
motorist fuming in midday traffic. For more from Heather Duplessy
Allen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd be from

(02:31):
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