When can I drive in a dedicated lane? If you are not a traffic cop, then it’s not a fact that you can answer the question. Indeed, often experienced drivers simply forget the traffic rules and act by inertia, and meanwhile, changes in traffic rules occur systematically. When can I drive in a dedicated lane? We will answer this question below.
Dedicated lane - what is it?
In cities, you can often see bus lanes. What are you talking about? These lanes are the part of the road that public transport runs on. It is highlighted by road signs and associated markings.
Although the lane is called a bus, traffic on it is allowed to any public transport. According to the rules, ordinary drivers cannot drive into this lane. Disobedience is punishable by a fine of up to one and a half thousand rubles.
There are exceptions, however. There are periods when you can ride in a dedicated lane.
A little traffic rules
According to traffic rules, the bus lane is reserved for buses, trolleybuses and passenger taxis. The lane is marked with a certain sign (5.14), valid until the canceling sign or a nearby intersection. In addition, for the convenience of drivers, a special strip is marked with the capital letter “A”. It is painted right on the pavement and very large.
In addition to the above sign, there are others. For example, sign 5.13.1 and 5.13.2 mean exit onto the road with a special lane, and sign 5.11 notifies that a part of the road has been allocated for on-board lanes for transport vehicles.
Nevertheless, the question of when it is possible to drive in a dedicated lane is haunting motorists. Before answering it, we will study the regulatory framework.
What is regulated
The road rules govern all traffic on the roads, and as for the allocated lane, the answers to all questions can be found in paragraph 18.2. It also shows all the signs regarding the lane for transport vehicles, as well as the rules for their installation.
But all the points related to the punishment for violation are prescribed in the Code of Administrative Offenses. For example, liability for traveling to a separate lane is provided for in Article 12.17 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.
Who can ride?
We often heard the statement that on a dedicated lane you can ride on Saturday. We will tell about how true it is below, but first we will explain who can ride in a special lane at any time.
These lucky ones include:
- Trolleybuses.
- Shuttle buses.
- Buses weighing more than five tons. As a rule, they are included in special lists approved by the executive authorities of St. Petersburg, Moscow and Sevastopol.
- Passenger taxis.
- Cyclists
- Shuttle taxis.
So we came smoothly to the statement that you can ride on a dedicated lane on Saturday. According to the rules, drivers of other cars can only go to the bus lane for a very short period of time. For example, if the driver wants to drop off passengers or leaves the surrounding area. But again, for such maneuvers, the highlighted lane should be separated by a dashed line, and the driver of the car should not interfere with the route means.
It is important to understand that rented cars drive according to the same rules as ordinary cars and do not have the right to continue driving along the route lane. It turns out that the drivers of such cars drive by the same rules and do not have any privileges.
Truth or myth?
What days can I drive in a dedicated lane? It is believed that on weekends and holidays everyone is allowed to use it. How true is this statement? Pretty much, because the offender will also pay a fine, like on any other day of the week. Moreover, at some intervals of the road automatic locks are very common, approximately every two hundred meters. This suggests that if the driver does not know about the clips, then for one trip a fine can even run up to 15 thousand.
So we found out on which days you can ride in the designated lane and realized that this myth of permission to take on holidays should not be taken seriously.
Exceptions
Still, there are options for the ordinary motorist to drive on a dedicated lane. In such situations, the driver is not only not considered an intruder, but such behavior is even welcome. For example, in order to drive along the bus lane with impunity, you need to have a sign (5.14) next to it and certain signs below. We are talking about the following:
- Sign 8.5.2 indicates a ban on entry only on business days, that is, from Monday to Friday.
- Sign 8.5.6 is similar to the sign above, but time is added to it when travel is prohibited. For example, Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm.
- Sign 8.5.3, which indicates the days of the week when travel is prohibited.
- Sign 8.5.7 indicates that travel is prohibited on a certain day.
- Sign 8.5.5 prohibits weekend traffic.
It turns out that on weekends you can ride in a dedicated lane only if signs permit it. If there are none, then traffic in such a lane is considered a violation, no matter what day of the week.
How to turn through such a strip
We have already found out that on weekends you can ride in a dedicated lane, but only when there are permissive signs. Now let's move on to a no less difficult situation for drivers. What to do if you need to turn right, and the route lane interferes?
The answer to the question is contained in the rules of the SDA. Paragraph 18.2 indicates that a motorist may leave for the bus lane if turned right. But here it is important to understand that you can’t move in a lane, you are only allowed to cross it. The same rules say that the driver should not interfere with the movement of public vehicles.
By the way, this rule also has its own nuances, namely, maneuver is allowed only if the strip is marked with a dotted line. If you see a solid markup, then rearranging for any maneuver is prohibited. It turns out that in this case, the motorist will have to go to the next intersection and turn there.
How to drop off passengers
We know that you can ride a taxi in a dedicated lane, but what about ordinary drivers who need to drop people off? Traffic rules regulate this issue. They said that the driver can change lanes in order to drop off passengers.
The nuances in this case are the same: the presence of a dashed line and the absence of obstacles to public transport.
When asked whether it is possible to ride a taxi in a dedicated lane, everyone will answer with confidence that this is permissible. But often ordinary drivers try to prove to the traffic police inspectors that they also do not violate. This may be so, but only if the markings restricting the bus lane are dotted. For this reason, it will not be possible to drop people off the sidewalk, because the closest lane is closest to it.
There is another situation in which ordinary car drivers make mistakes, thereby receiving fines. We are talking about roads where there is no marking, but there is a sign (5.14). The presence of a sign indicates that the highlighted strip is marked by a continuous line and it is forbidden to drive along it. With this sign, you can not only disembark passengers, but also turn right.
What are the rules in Moscow?
We have already considered the question of which days you can ride in a dedicated lane. What is happening in Moscow? The city is large and, perhaps, the same principle applies as for the whole country. Or does Moscow have one rule, and the periphery - another? As a rule, all traffic rules apply the same everywhere, but local laws may work in some regions, thereby making changes. Usually the situation is very different in large cities, and Moscow is no exception.
In the capital, Saturday is also a working day, so the sign 8.5.3 is set on many highways instead of 8.5.2. The first sign prohibits going to the route lane even on Saturday, which once again denies the statement that we quoted above.
By the way, in Moscow there are additional requirements for taxis. For example, in the province there is enough checkers and names, but in the capital, a taxi driver must have a license plate on a yellow background. When the sign is missing, and the driver continues to move along the route strip, he can earn a fine of up to three thousand rubles. Here's the answer to the question, which taxi can I drive in a dedicated lane.
A little more about taxi
According to traffic rules, the bus lane allows taxi drivers to ride on it. It turns out that everyone can be called a taxi driver and go? No, it is not. The car must meet certain requirements:
- The color of the car should be yellow, and checkers are drawn on the sides of the car.
- A taximeter must be installed in the passenger compartment.
- A special flashlight should be equipped on the roof of the machine.
So, is it possible for taxi drivers to drive in a dedicated lane? Naturally, yes, if all the conditions were met. For Moscow, a license plate on a yellow background is added.
When the cabmen do not comply, they are fined in the amount of one and a half to three thousand rubles.
Bus lane and holidays
Can I drive in a designated lane at night? This is perhaps the most common question after the weekend. First we answer the second, and then everything becomes clear.
We have already noted that the statement regarding weekend permits is partially true. Driving in a lane is permitted only if there is an appropriate sign. Again, remember the rules. It says that marking is a priority over signs, and therefore it is necessary to pay attention to it first of all.
As a rule, on weekends it is allowed to move along the route strip, but it all depends on the city: somewhere, Saturday is equated to a working day. It turns out that on weekends at night you can ride on the bus lane.
When is traffic permitted?
When can I use the dedicated lane for public transport? In order to decide on the days, just look into the Labor Code of our country. Article 112 states that the following are considered non-working days:
- New Year holidays - from the first to the eighth of January.
- Defender of the Fatherland Day - February 23.
- Christmas is January 7th.
- International Women's Day - March 8.
- Spring and Labor Day - May 1.
- Victory Day - May 9th.
- Russia Day - June 12.
- National Unity Day - November 4.
It is important to note that each year for the New Year holidays there are two more days off, which, as a rule, are postponed to other months. For this reason, government decrees are issued every year that indicate non-working numbers. For example, the second and third of May may be inactive, and the holiday falling on the day off will be transferred even further.
Based on the foregoing, to the question whether it is possible to travel in a dedicated lane for public transport and taxis, it is recommended to study in time the information about which days are days off. By the way, data on this subject changes every six months.
Responsibility for violation
If a person ignores the rules and leaves for the designated lane, then he must be ready for punishment. And the punishment in this case is quite severe. It depends not only on what time the driver comes across, but also on the severity of the violation.
The Code of Administrative Offenses says the following: a stop, just like going to a route strip, is punishable by a fine of 1,500 rubles. In cities such as St. Petersburg or Moscow, the amount of the fine is doubled.
Sometimes drivers drive into the oncoming lane, which creates a very dangerous situation on the road. The same code says that in a situation where the driver goes around an obstacle, he can be punished for a thousand, or even one and a half. If the reasons for leaving are different, then the amount of the fine increases to five thousand.
When the situation is burdensome, the driver may be deprived of the license for as much as six months. If the same violation occurs again, the driver will lose his rights for a year. But there are exceptions, namely, if the violation was recorded by an automatic system, then a fine of five thousand may be issued instead of deprivation.
When you go to the strip, which is separated by continuous marking, keep in mind that you may receive an additional fine of one thousand rubles.
Discount on fines
We have already considered almost everything, including the question of whether it is possible to ride on a dedicated lane for public transport on Saturday. Only a little remains, but it is of great importance. In particular, violators are often interested in how to pay a fine at a discount and whether there are any discounts at all. We have good news for them. Since 2017, the state has allowed to pay fines with a 50% discount. To do this, some conditions must be met:
- The violation should not be included in the list of exceptions that are specified in Article 32.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. For example, the exit to the bus lane is not indicated there.
- The driver must pay the penalty within 20 days from the entry into force of the decision of the judge. This rule is taken from article 32.2 of the same code.
It can be concluded that the offender can pay a fine at a discount. He will pay only 750 rubles in the province and 1,500 in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
All information about discounts is indicated in the resolution, the number to which the discount is valid is also indicated there. You can pay the fine through the traffic police website or the State Services portal.
Appeal of a fine
If the driver is caught during the violation, then no appeal will help. Nevertheless, there are several cases where the procedure is possible:
- Departure to the route strip was accompanied by extreme necessity. An example of this is avoiding a collision with an oncoming car.
- There were no signs or markings on the road that would suggest that there is a bus lane.
- The driver was charged with two fines for an offense.
The appeal procedure in the traffic police is the same as with any other violation. That is, you just need to correctly fill out the application and send it.
Action algorithm
So that everything goes as it should, there is a certain algorithm that you need to adhere to:
- Observe appeal deadlines. The law sets aside only ten days for this. If the driver missed the deadline, then the fine is no longer subject to appeal. But it’s possible to challenge the terms, especially if the offender does not have a resolution in his hands.
- It is important to understand the reason for the appeal, that is, exactly what caused the violation, for example, avoiding the collision.
- A statement should be written and mailed to the appropriate department.
After receiving the traffic police examines complaints within ten days. If it was decided to redirect the case to court, the latter can consider it within two months.
Important Features
The issue of traffic on a dedicated lane is considered rather complicated in terms of legal justification. For this reason, drivers should pay attention to the following aspects:
- Often, instead of the sign of the highlighted strip, the sign "No entry" hangs. In such a situation, the fine varies up to five thousand, and in rare cases, violators can be deprived of their rights. It is important to remember that a violation with a dedicated lane is punishable by a fine of up to three thousand.
- Often a violation is noted by automatic systems. This moment does not affect the punishment, but if there are several such devices, the violator will pay all the fines.
- The penalty increases at times if the offender has left for the oncoming lane. This can even lead to disqualification.
- It so happens that the ban on traffic on the lane is valid only on some days. In such a situation, you need to pay attention to the markup. Even if traffic is allowed on some days, in a situation where it is separated by a solid line, you cannot cross it.
- You can enter the bus lane if you need to drop people off or turn right. Again, you need to look so that the markup is dotted.
- It is important to understand that crossing a continuous marking and entering the bus lane is not considered a single offense. If a violation is proven, the driver will receive two fines.
- It’s best to pay the fines right away. So you can save up to half the amount. It is important to meet the deadline of twenty days.
- If there is reason, then the offender may appeal the fine. To do this, write a statement.
This is all you need to know about the bus lane. Do not break, and then you do not have to pay fines.