14 November 2011

10 days later Coe shrieks about Adelaide Avenue bus lane

| johnboy
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Back on 4 November we noted moves afoot to change the Adelaide Avenue T2 lane back into a bus lane.

Today the Liberals’ Alistair Coe is deploying some interesting logic to decry the move:

The Canberra Liberals strongly disagree with ACT Labor’s removal of the T2 lane on Adelaide Avenue, and will take every step to reverse the change. ACT Shadow Transport Services Minister Alistair Coe said the change will increase travel times for motorists, and does nothing to improve public transport.

“I urge Simon Corbell to abandon this illogical change,” Mr Coe said today.

“Until today, the T2 lane was shared by car-pooling motorists and buses. “Now, only buses can use the lane, but bus timetables have not changed, meaning the bus times will not improve. Instead, car-pooling motorists will be forced to join the already congested traffic, with little incentive to travel together.

“There are no winners as a result of this change, and it’s another example of ACT Labor stifling Canberran’s use of the car without making improvements to the dire public transport system.

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KB1971 said :

DUB said :

Funny thing is that this morning I have seen 3 cars using T2 lane.Cops nowhere to be seen.

I think the police have more pressing matters arriving this arvo.

Perfect opportunity to roll few more businesses around Canberra then, eh? 😉
Or, fly at 150+km/h in a 60 zone, in a white Commodore.lol

DUB said :

Funny thing is that this morning I have seen 3 cars using T2 lane.Cops nowhere to be seen.

I think the police have more pressing matters arriving this arvo.

DUB said :

Funny thing is that this morning I have seen 3 cars using T2 lane.Cops nowhere to be seen.

And this morning I saw four buses heading northbound and no cars. Three of the buses had crossed the unbroken line and left the lane around Deakin and only one turned off at Capital Circle. The rest kept travelling on into the City. I wished I wasn’t driving so I could take a photo of the buses travelling side by side down Adelaide Avenue.

Funny thing is that this morning I have seen 3 cars using T2 lane.Cops nowhere to be seen.

Now the greens are at it. I just heard on the 6am news that Amanda Bresnan wants a study into the why the lane should be changed.

It was never permanent!!?? Do these people have any idea?

AG Canberra said :

In my experience the speeding usually occurs during peak times where the driver is forced to make up time when the bus is full (because they have spent more time collecting passengers). This of course makes it all the more dangerous as there are many people standing and any accident would be that much worse.

But if there are only buses travelling in the bus lane, the chances of an accident are lessened. This bus lane has been in operation since the 70’s – exactly how many accidents have occurred so far?

From my observations, the biggest risk of accidents in the T2 lane were from cars weaving in and out of the lane with no warning. With buses (and most taxis and motorcycles), once they get in the lane they stay there and maintain a steady speed.

#29 Very Busy – Thank you for some very rational reasoning for reverting to a bus lane. My only comments are that I’m not sure why a bus speedo would be any more accurate than a car speedo and, if a car driver is expected to drive at the speed indicated on their speedo why shouldn’t a bus driver? Also, while I doubt that many if any buses are held up sufficiently to ever cause a dirsuption to service (eg 70km/h vs 80km/h on YarraGlen/Adelaide Ave would only cost around 30 seconds), if this is the reason then why allow motorcycles (including slow ones), taxis and out of service buses to occupy the lane. Also, if bussie’s comments are indicative of the general bus driving community, then I suspect that buses may be partly at fault for some of the near misses that we are now hearing about after the event to justify the change back to a bus lane.

Personally, I don’t care that much about this issue. I just object to the way this has been done and the now irrational reasoning why buses, taxis (even without passengers) and motorcycles (including the oversized and underpowered) can coexist but not other vehicles. I suspect the answer is that “it is because that is the way it has always been done”……

Some people seem to think that the T2 was to be used by buses and “car poolers”? The sineage said buses, taxis and cars with 2 or more passengers. Nothing wrong with mum taking the kids to school using the T2 before either. I have seen empty buses using the T2 as well and the notion that the T2 is and “express lane” for vehicles that want to exceed 80 kph is just stupidity. Also, a motorcyclist can still use the lane and travel at 80 kph so what is the angry, ill-mannered bus driver going to do; run him down?
What this matter is all about is the bus drivers power through their union. I can’t wait until ACTION is privatised.

Bussie said :

dungfungus said :

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

We own the T2 now crybaby and we just got a payrise.

Maybe most of you should start actually behaving like professional drivers then.

I believe a T2 lane would better serve Canberra rather than have as an exclusive Bus race track. This week on more than one occasion I was drive inbound and was passed by a bus. By my GPS I was doing 80kph and the bus rather quickly cruised past. I wonder if buses are exempt from the speed limits? I believe the argument should be about efficient use of the road, not exclusive use of the road.

1. Were the majority of cars that used the T2 lane really car poolers, or were they just parents taking their kids to school, or were they single occupant cars using the lane illegally? I would suggest that reverting the lane back to buses only, will not make one iota of difference to the number of car poolers or the attractiveness of car pooling!!

2. Some users of the T2 lane were exercising their right to use the lane but were still travelling at the same speed as the flow of traffic in the other two lanes. This speed is often as low as 50kmh in peek hour. This DOES cause buses to run late (or later than they otherwise would have).

3. As dungfungus demonstrates at post #10, many motorists set their cruise control at the speed limit and blissfully or selfishly hog the lane, totally oblivious of their speedo error. They do this even when they could be in one of the other two lanes travelling at that same speed.

4. As has been pointed out in the media, accidents and near misses have been caused by cars that have pulled out of the slow moving centre lane, into the T2 lane.

5. When peek hour express buses run late there is a compounding effect. When the late running bus gets to the next stop, more passengers will have arrived at the stop to board the bus. This extra load takes more time. Then at the next stop even more people than normal have arrived to board the bus…and so on… This can actually cause the bus to run so late that the following bus doing the same route can actually catch up to it or even overtake it.

Oh and it’s great to see the Canberran attitude of “I don’g give a f&@k” come out as people have still been driving in the bus lane the past two days.

screaming banshee said :

Bussie said :

I’m too sexy for my bus, too sexy for bus, other Canberran’s can get f*cked

Wah, look at how poor us bus drivers are treated
Wah, we’re getting screwed over by govco
Wah, we’ll get riot act on side
oooooooh, a payrise
F*ck you riot act and your first world problems

Anyway I always knew it and now its official….bussie is a dick.

LOL. I guess this means that bus drivers in modern buses in specialty lanes who have to slow down slightly for vehicles in front is not a first world problem…

screaming banshee7:59 pm 14 Nov 11

Bussie said :

I’m too sexy for my bus, too sexy for bus, other Canberran’s can get f*cked

Wah, look at how poor us bus drivers are treated
Wah, we’re getting screwed over by govco
Wah, we’ll get riot act on side
oooooooh, a payrise
F*ck you riot act and your first world problems

Anyway I always knew it and now its official….bussie is a dick.

Innovation said :

Bussie said :

dungfungus said :

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

We own the T2 now crybaby and we just got a payrise.

The way you drive it sounds like you thought that you always owned it ……. your words from post #33 at http://the-riotact.com/the-bus-lane-is-returning-on-adelaide-avenue/58231/comment-page-2#comments “I don’t currently drive on Adelaide Avenue but I did on my previous shift and the T2 traffic was a problem. At least once a fortnight there was some clown doing 70 in the T2 even though the other lanes were moving quickly too. No amount of driving 1m behind them, honking the horn and flashing the high beams ever seemed to get these idiots to speed up or change lanes.

It’s also interesting that you never commented on my subsequent post querying how ACTION copes with their buses being around 30 seconds late on these trips.

And unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo but, despite the T2 lane being closed to cars from today, all southbound traffic was banked up this afternoon and using the bus lane because of the Kent St bridgeworks today…..

Sorry I don’t think I saw your post, random whiners and their pathetic first world problems on Riot Act just aren’t that important to me.

Anyway I always drove like owned it but now it’s official. It’s not that being 30 seconds late is that big of a deal it’s the sheer frustration at idiots like your friend dungfungus being in the bus lane and not going at the speed the bus wants to go. Want to drive slow, that’s fine there’re two other lanes to do it in among people who aren’t on a schedule.

Bussie said :

dungfungus said :

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

We own the T2 now crybaby and we just got a payrise.

The way you drive it sounds like you thought that you always owned it ……. your words from post #33 at http://the-riotact.com/the-bus-lane-is-returning-on-adelaide-avenue/58231/comment-page-2#comments “I don’t currently drive on Adelaide Avenue but I did on my previous shift and the T2 traffic was a problem. At least once a fortnight there was some clown doing 70 in the T2 even though the other lanes were moving quickly too. No amount of driving 1m behind them, honking the horn and flashing the high beams ever seemed to get these idiots to speed up or change lanes.

It’s also interesting that you never commented on my subsequent post querying how ACTION copes with their buses being around 30 seconds late on these trips.

And unfortunately, I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo but, despite the T2 lane being closed to cars from today, all southbound traffic was banked up this afternoon and using the bus lane because of the Kent St bridgeworks today…..

Bussie said :

dungfungus said :

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

We own the T2 now crybaby and we just got a payrise.

I guess we better rename it “The Awesome Lane”, then…

dungfungus said :

My speedometer is accurate and it has already been established by other contributors that buses regularly speed over 80 kph on the T2. By the way, it is not an offence to “hog the right hand lane” in the ACT but it is to tailgate. As I said, ACTION bus drivers are untouchable.

Driving in the right hand land can be an offense, but not on Adelaide Ave. Only on roads over 80kph and on roads otherwise signposted with a keep left unless overtaking sign.

There are exceptions I think, if the lanes are congested or similar.

dungfungus said :

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

We own the T2 now crybaby and we just got a payrise.

HenryBG said :

dungfungus said :

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

In other words, you were doing about 73km/h and hogging the right-hand lane.
I would have given you the finger, too.
If you don’t want to drive to the speed limit, at the very least don’t impede those that do.

My speedometer is accurate and it has already been established by other contributors that buses regularly speed over 80 kph on the T2. By the way, it is not an offence to “hog the right hand lane” in the ACT but it is to tailgate. As I said, ACTION bus drivers are untouchable.

It is with much glee that I remind you all that motorcycles are still able to use the bus lane. See you on the road peeps, or more accurately I will pass you on the road in the mornings and in the afternoons. Mwahahahaha, love it!

What is going on with Alastair, seemingly everything is getting his ire. Quite honestly unless he can show a. some logic behind his arguements and b. an alternative approach, both of which are highly unlikely then he should stop issueing mindless, petty MRs. Canberrans or even the one Canberran he mentioned don’t need to keep reading about how upset and dismayed he is.

zippyzippy said :

The liberals are really getting into the car loving aren’t they? Remember when alistair complained about the cost of green paint for cycle lanes? That’s because the car is all that exists to them.

Got a better idea?

The liberals are really getting into the car loving aren’t they? Remember when alistair complained about the cost of green paint for cycle lanes? That’s because the car is all that exists to them.

dpm said :

Solidarity said :

AG Canberra said :

Buses on Adeliade Ave regularly do more than 80. Smartphone GPS is a nice little tool – as is the online form for Canberra Connect to report speeding drivers. You can check the speed and shoot off the complaint all from your cramped seat.

That would be operating a mobile device while driving, i’m going to dob you in, huzzuh!

I’m guessing AG was a passenger on the bus – not a driver….

Ah wow, half this site is people complaining that thier trip got held up by convoy/cyclist/roadworks, the other half is complaining that thier trip is getting completed faster, but oh no 2KM/H OVER THE LIMIT WILL PROBABLY KILL 500 BABIES.

Wow, what a whingefest!

Solidarity said :

AG Canberra said :

Buses on Adeliade Ave regularly do more than 80. Smartphone GPS is a nice little tool – as is the online form for Canberra Connect to report speeding drivers. You can check the speed and shoot off the complaint all from your cramped seat.

That would be operating a mobile device while driving, i’m going to dob you in, huzzuh!

I’m guessing AG was a passenger on the bus – not a driver….

dungfungus said :

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

In other words, you were doing about 73km/h and hogging the right-hand lane.
I would have given you the finger, too.
If you don’t want to drive to the speed limit, at the very least don’t impede those that do.

AG Canberra said :

Buses on Adeliade Ave regularly do more than 80. Smartphone GPS is a nice little tool – as is the online form for Canberra Connect to report speeding drivers. You can check the speed and shoot off the complaint all from your cramped seat.

That would be operating a mobile device while driving, i’m going to dob you in, huzzuh!

Buses on Adeliade Ave regularly do more than 80. Smartphone GPS is a nice little tool – as is the online form for Canberra Connect to report speeding drivers. You can check the speed and shoot off the complaint all from your cramped seat.

In my experience the speeding usually occurs during peak times where the driver is forced to make up time when the bus is full (because they have spent more time collecting passengers). This of course makes it all the more dangerous as there are many people standing and any accident would be that much worse.

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Well, at least car drivers will no longer be exposed to harassment of bus drivers who think they own the T-2. A couple of months ago I was tailgated by a bus in the T-2 lane while I was doing 82kph (on cruise control). He was so close I couldn’t see his headlights. At the end of the T-2 he swerved into the adjacent lane, sped past me and gave me the finger then disappeared weaving through the traffic at high speed. Complaints to ACTION were a waste of time even though two witnesses in my car got the rego of the bus as well as the “finger”. The complaints lady at ACTION said it would be 2 weeks before they could review the matter as they were “snowed under” with similar complaints against drivers. After follow-up calls they advised the driver had been interviewed and denied any knowledge of the incident. ACTION then said I must have got the rego number wrong – end of matter.
From now on I will not extend any courtesy to ACTION drivers – they are untouchable, overpaid and ill-mannered.

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Buses without passenger seatbelts (for eg all ACTION buses) are legally required to be speed limited to 80. Some can do a bit over but not much.

Lillypilly said :

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

And the irony that cars “pulling in and out of that lane are a danger to buses” but motorcycles of all persuasions can still use the lane. And why can a taxi with one occupant (the driver) travel in that lane whereas a car with multiple occupants can’t?

At the end of the day, this is not a big deal. I just object to the way it was done, that is, as soon as the GDE is finished (as per the announcement when it started) but before they have considered comments on their draft transport policy. And if they considered that the car numbers were so insignificant but still very dangerous why didn’t they make this part of their announcement to close the T2 in the first place?

“Until today, the T2 lane was shared by car-pooling motorists and buses. “Now, only buses can use the lane, but bus timetables have not changed, meaning the bus times will not improve. Instead, car-pooling motorists will be forced to join the already congested traffic, with little incentive to travel together.”

I don’t really care about it being a bus only lane, but that’s actually a pretty good point.

I think the most amusing thing was Mr Corbell on this 666 this morning, blaming bad driving on Adelaide avenue on the T2 lane.

Oh and him putting his foot in it saying that buses speed in the bus lane (which they do)

Thoroughly Smashed12:03 pm 14 Nov 11

“There are no winners as a result of this change, and it’s another example of ACT Labor stifling Canberran’s use of the car without making improvements to the dire public transport system.”

So, what’s the name of this mystery Canberran?

How many of those T2 lanes are there exactly in Canberra? Is it 2? Adding up to about 2 kilometers? That REALLY is going to motivate people to car pool.

Two people in a car are not a car pool!

My next door neighbour wants to build a fence. Could Mr Coe put out a Media Release on that?

It wasn’t broken and therefore didn’t need to be fixed. HOWEVER…I drove up there this morning at about 8.20 and didn’t notice that the world was ending, although I did see two cars using the T2 lane…and one bus. The biggest problem on that road in peak traffic is the lanes that merge onto Adelaide Ave from the left and cyclists flitting across the merge lanes, but that’s not going to be helped by letting certain cars use the T2 lane.

I’d definitely agree with letting cars with more than one person in use it – it more than likely helps the overall flow of traffic even if it is minor assistance. The buses are not exactly bumper to bumper on that road.

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