Birmingham bus lanes

[tbone]

I've been spending a few days in Birmingham recently and I've noticed that there's a bus lane in the city centre that is currently 'guarded' by police- by that I mean there's a police officer at each end preventing other vehicles from using it.

Is it just me or does that sound a bit extreme?

 

[SS4]

I've been spending a few days in Birmingham recently and I've noticed that there's a bus lane in the city centre that is currently 'guarded' by police- by that I mean there's a police officer at each end preventing other vehicles from using it.

Is it just me or does that sound a bit extreme?

The congestion in town from buses alone is bad enough, add cars into the mix and it all goes up the proverbial creek.

The bus stops in Birmingham City Centre changed "recently" (22nd July) to allow the metro to be extended. Before these changes cars could use Lower (and Upper) Bull Street, Priory Queensway, Moor Street, Carrs Lane (I think) and the small part of Corporation Street still open to buses and now they cannot do so.
The police officers are there to enforce the bus lanes and to advise drivers of alternative routes.

edit: drivers are allowed to use Moor Street - at least in the direction from the station towards Jennens Road

 

[Mojo]

I've seen police officers preventing vehicles from accessing non-car roads for a number of years now off-and-on in Birmingham City Centre. I understand they are only there where there are adequate numbers of officers, and I think it's a good example of proactive policing, and of course they can stop other crimes they see at the same time!

 

[jopsuk]

Surely more "passive" enforcement- cameras and/or bollards- is a better long term solution though? Ideally both, because the footage of idiots getting their vehicle impaled on the bollards never ceases to amuse

 

[Simon11]

Even after all this time the police are still catching lots of drivers still attempting to drive on the bus only roads, nice to see them not even seeing the signs which state bus or cycles only.
What is even more strange is workmen spending days and days by the traffic lights assisting passengers across the road- seen at moor street and at the main jn.

 

[tbtc]

There was sometimes someone at the end of the "multi occupancy vehicle" lane in Leeds (near Armley) when I lived nearby - much more of a deterrant than a camera.

It makes sense, if the rules/ routes have recently changed, to ensure that people change their travel - always frustrating when you are obeying the rules of the road and someone else flouts them (to no apparent punishment).

 

[90019]

Even after all this time the police are still catching lots of drivers still attempting to drive on the bus only roads, nice to see them not even seeing the signs which state bus or cycles only.

If there's no visible deterrent, there are plenty of car drivers who will happily drive along bus only roads to try and save themselves a few seconds.

 

[34D]

I've been spending a few days in Birmingham recently and I've noticed that there's a bus lane in the city centre that is currently 'guarded' by police- by that I mean there's a police officer at each end preventing other vehicles from using it.

Is it just me or does that sound a bit extreme?

I hope they're armed

Talking of birmingham bus lanes, why was the bus lane on the A38 Tyburn Road opened to all traffic?

 

[SS4]

I hope they're armed

Talking of birmingham bus lanes, why was the bus lane on the A38 Tyburn Road opened to all traffic?

What bus lane? It was removed in 2009 and I guess they've finally got around to removing the markings

http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite/tyburnroad?packedargs=website=4&rendermode=live

 

[MCW]

should do what Leicester council did with charles street. have cameras up and £60 fines. In august alone there were over 3600 offences... that's a lot of money!

 

[Jonny]

As a slight aside, do they ever do anything about (pedal) cycles in non-cycle bus lanes?

 

[90019]

As a slight aside, do they ever do anything about (pedal) cycles in non-cycle bus lanes?

In my experience, no.