Why does the Council feel the need to enforce bus lanes on Xmas Day?

I am not a motorist, but I find it totally unacceptable for any Council to decide to enforce bus lane restrictions on Christmas Day.

Sheffield City Council state on their website that bus lanes, gates & tram gates are there to "keep Sheffield moving", allowing "buses and trams to move more freely."

As Christmas Day is the only day in the year where there are no buses or trams operating in the City, how can enforcing restrictions on this day be keeping Sheffield moving? It cant be to allow buses or trams to move more freely, as there aren't any on the road!

So, why do they choose to enforce?

Enforcement is also carried out on Boxing Day and New Years Day, even though this year only a 'special' bus service is in operation.

Many motorists get caught out on Public/Bank Holidays in the city.

Moore Street (bottom of Ecclesall Rd), Mansfield Road and London Road, showing steep increases on these days compared to a normal working day.

Boxing Day, 2016, saw a 400% increase in bus lane contraventions at Moore Street, where normally 26 motorists on average get issued with a PCN on a normal working day Monday; this is compared to 130 getting caught on Boxing Day last year, 2016.

The Council say that the signs are clear and understandable, but why such a difference in violations?

I have contacted 16 City Councils throughout the UK to find out what their policy is to enforcement on Christmas Day about half choose not to enforce, even if the Traffic Regulation Order gives them power to enforce contraventions on that day.

I have also contacted ALL the local authority district borough Councils within Greater London, including the City of London Council, and also Transport for London, who operate the Red Route system.

Only around 20% of London borough Councils choose to enforce on Christmas Day.

Transport for London does not enforce.

City of London Council does not enforce.

There really isn't any consistency on Christmas Day enforcement and it is really down to each Council, whether they choose to enforce or not.

If the purpose of a bus lane is to help buses etc to move more freely and to keep a city moving, then why enforce on the only day when there is no public transport in operation?

Here is the list of City Councils contacted re their position on Christmas Day enforcement 2017:

The Good Guys:

Birmingham

Leeds

Glasgow

Liverpool

Manchester

Bristol

Sunderland

Nottingham

The Bad Guys:

Sheffield

Bradford - 24 hr bus lanes only

Edinburgh

Leicester

Newcastle

Derby

Southampton

Cardiff

To make money.

Why can't people avoid a bus lane on Christmas Day?

Why would any motorist think that a bus lane or bus gates would not apply onXmas day or any other public holiday. The signing of them is explicit and UK signing regulations do not allow for them to be signed not to apply at public holidays.

Some Sheffield bus gates are there for traffic management reasons, not to just give priority to buses/trams.

What other traffic regulations does the OP not think should apply on Xmas day? Speed limits, no entries, banned turns? Should it just be a free for all?

Why would any motorist think that a bus lane or bus gates would not apply onXmas day

Hang on,I think I know this one, is it because there are no buses?

Should it just be a free for all?

That is exactly what it should be on Christmas Day - free for all, because there are no buses.

Hiding behind the excuse that "the signs have been made now" is beyond feeble, because there are no buses.

So what if there are no buses. There are no trains running on xmas day either but that does not mean that access to walk along the rail tracks should be free for all.

Those who choose to ignore the signs deserve any fine they get.

What the hell makes you think you NEED to drive in a bus lane on Christmas day anyway. Was the traffic so bad you had no option but to deviate from the normal carraigeway?

Out of interest, what else do you think should be free for all just because its christmas day? pavements?? service roads?? pedestrianised precincts?. Do you stop at red lights in your world or just proceed through if there is nobody is using the other carraigeway? Free for all init.

Anything to make life more convenient for you right?

So what if there are no buses. There are no trains running on xmas day either but that does not mean that access to walk along the rail tracks should be free for all.

 

Those who choose to ignore the signs deserve any fine they get.

 

What the hell makes you think you NEED to drive in a bus lane on Christmas day anyway. Was the traffic so bad you had no option but to deviate from the normal carraigeway?

 

Out of interest, what else do you think should be free for all just because its christmas day? pavements?? service roads?? pedestrianised precincts?

 

Anything to make life more convenient for you right?

Good effort.

Why bus lanes need buses anyway?

Good effort.

 

Why bus lanes need buses anyway?

Why do lazy pig headed entitled drivers need to use bus lanes?

We can all ask questions dear. Try answering some.

You have still failed in giving any legitimate reason why you NEED to use a bus lane.

Lets see your "effort".

Why do lazy pig headed entitled drivers need to use bus lanes?

 

We can all ask questions dear. Try answering some.

 

You have still failed in giving any legitimate reason why you NEED to use a bus lane.

 

Lets see your "effort".

Well I could give you an argument about available road capacity, environmental impact, productivity, good practice elsewhere, or just plain old fashioned Christmas spirit.

I think you'll still be stuck with signs. Have you got anything else love?

Perhaps it would have cost more in terms of legislation to allow for exemptions for the odd day hither and yon.

Perhaps it would have cost more in terms of legislation to allow for exemptions for the odd day hither and yon.

Or just turn off the fines computer.

Well I could give you an argument about available road capacity, environmental impact, productivity, good practice elsewhere, or just plain old fashioned Christmas spirit.

 

I think you'll still be stuck with signs. Have you got anything else love?

Road capacity generally depends on the capacity of the signalised junctions or roundabouts.

Bus lanes stop well before junctions and all traffic can use all lanes at the junction. Overall network capacity is largely unaffected by bus lanes. They just help the buses to arrive a bit higher up any queues.

Many of the bus lanes and bus gates operate at peak hours only.

Therefore there is actually very little for motorists to gain by using bus lanes on Xmas day or other public holidays.