Changes to bus lane enforcement to help keep Auckland moving

Auckland City Council today announced a number of initiatives to ensure a fair and reasonable approach is taken with bus lane enforcement.

Transport Committee chair Ken Baguley says the measures will help clarify driver confusion around bus lane rules, while maintaining largely unimpeded travel for Auckland buses and their passengers.

The new steps follow the completion of month-long research into signage options– reported to the Transport Committee today.

The measures announced today are:

Clearer markings

• Extend the bus lane marking right up to, and through the intersection where possible, to avoid instances where bus lanes stop and start (the source of some confusion for motorists)
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• Lobby the NZTA to look at whether there should be a national standard for an affordable form of on-road marking that would more clearly identify the bus lane and that might indicate an appropriate point from which to start making left turn
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Increased warning

• To encourage correct use of bus lanes where there is high levels of non-compliance, a sign indicating that a bus lane camera is in operation will be placed for a temporary period
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Camera positioning

• Where locations allow, cameras will be located in such a way that it is possible to view not only the bus lane, but whether a left hand turn was taken be an infringing motorist
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• At locations, where in order to comply with the bus lane, the road layout clearly encourages unsafe driving, enforcement will not be carried out.
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Applying greater tolerance

• Only issuing tickets where a motorist has used a bus lane well in excess of 50m
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• Waving tickets where there has been a genuine attempt to enter the all-user lane or the motorist was clearly avoiding cutting in on a bus by entering the lane more than 50 meters from a corner
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“The council is not responsible for setting the $150 fine for bus lane infringements, and we will lobby central government to reduce the fine to a more appropriate level,” says Councillor Baguley.

After considering the findings from the signage research report, the committee decided a 50-metre sign not be implemented, because:

• there is no evidence that it changes driver behaviour
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• it is impractical and confusing, as it would be necessary to mark 50m before every entry and intersection along the entire length of a bus lane
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• it is not the cause of the problem.
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The committee also approved in principle for existing 24-hour bus lanes in Fanshawe St, Symonds St, Anzac Ave and park Rd to instead

operate as 12 hours bus lanes between 7am and 7pm, and operate as clearways outside these times. Council will seek ARTA support for the

changes.

ENDS

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